Big Wreck Guitarist Brian Doherty Dead at 51

The music world has lost another great talent, as Big Wreck guitarist Brian Doherty has passed away at the age of 51.

The band revealed the news in a posting via their social media, revealing that Doherty died on Wednesday (June 5) after a "prolonged and brave struggle with cancer." "He was a good soul who will be missed by all who knew him personally or through the beautiful music he performed," stated the group. Read their full statement below:

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our brother, Brian Doherty, passed away peacefully yesterday after a prolonged and brave struggle with cancer. Brian started Big Wreck with Ian in their dorm in Boston and his passing is a profound loss to us all. Our deepest condolences go out to Brian's family. He was a good soul who will be missed by all who knew him personally or through the beautiful music he performed.

Big Wreck formed in 1994 with each of the band members being students at the Berklee College of Music. The band released their debut album, In Loving Memory Of ..., in 1997, enjoying their biggest radio success with "The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted)."

After their second album, The Pleasure and the Green, the band split in 2002, but later reformed in 2011, issuing their first album since the return, Albatross, in 2012.

Singer Ian Thornley told us in 2012, "My personal relationship with Brian had sort of fallen by the wayside after we parted ways the first time and that was something that was just sort of a sour spot for me. I just missed the guys and we had been roommates in college and had been really tight before and through all of the Big Wreck thing. So I just called and we just started hanging out."

Adding about the reunion with Doherty, Thornley stated, "When we started hanging out again, there wasn't a sort of, 'OK, well here is what upset me about…' We didn't hash anything out. It was just that neither of us were holding any grudges and I just sort of missed my buddy and we were in similar places in a personal way and we both matured a lot in dealing with the things you have to deal with in this industry."

After the Albatross album, the band went on to release 2017's Grace Street record, and earlier this year, Thornley teased a new album titled But for the Sun, featuring the single "Locomotive."

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