Legendary British musician Jack Bruce, best known as the bass player and vocalist of the heavy rock band Cream, died on October 25th at his home at 71.

Metal journalist/musician Joel Gausten has paid tribute to Bruce with the following:

"My morning has been shaken by the passing of the extraordinary Jack Bruce, a man responsible for several albums that have been my regular companions since childhood. Of all of his many contributions to music, my favorite remains his work on Bill Ward's 1990 solo album, Ward One: Along the Way. It was Jack's singular voice – showcasing equal parts strength and vulnerability – that so brilliantly communicated the humanity of Bill's lyrics in “Light Up The Candles (Let There Be Peace Tonight)” and “Tall Stories.” And the man's bass playing – incomparable. Naturally, I could spend days writing about his work in Cream alone.

Bill's album will be played at an appropriately high volume in my home today, as will Jack's BBM album with the Gary Moore – also departed. We must all strive to leave our mark on this world. Jack Bruce certainly left his in the form of songs that will be cherished for centuries. The man's life has been silenced, but the man's soul will be heard forever. Rest in Peace Jack Bruce."

A statement from Bruce's family reads: “It is with great sadness that we, Jack’s family, announce the passing of our beloved Jack: husband, father, granddad, and all round legend. The world of music will be a poorer place without him, but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts.”

According to The Associated Press, Cream sold 35 million albums in just over two years and the band was awarded the world's first ever platinum disc for their double album Wheels Of Fire. Bruce wrote and sang most of the band's signature songs.

The band started out playing traditional blues tunes, but added a psychedelic tinge that brought still more popularity at the height of the flower power era.

But they broke up with little warning, at the height of their commercial success. Clapton wrote in his 2007 autobiography that the band lost its direction musically and that "any sense of unity" had disappeared.

"We were also suffering from an inability to get along," he said. "We would just run away from one another. We never socialized together and never really shared ideas anymore."

Bruce is survived by his wife, Margrit, four children and a granddaughter. Funeral arrangements weren't immediately announced.

Cream released three influential and timeless albums: Fresh Cream (1966), Disraeli Gears (1967) and Wheels of Fire (1968).