SACRAMENTO, CA. (THECOUNT) — Greg Brown, a founding guitarist of the Sacramento-based rock band CAKE and the sole writer of the group’s hit song “The Distance,” has died following a brief illness, the band confirmed in a social media post Saturday.
“The Distance” was CAKE’s biggest and most commercially successful song (1996).
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CAKE shared the news alongside a black-and-white image of Brown, writing, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Greg Brown’s passing after a brief illness.” The band did not provide Brown’s exact age in the announcement. However, a 2021 Billboard feature referenced Brown as being 51 years old at that time.
Brown was a key part of CAKE’s early formation and sound. The band, founded in Sacramento in 1991, originally included Brown on guitar alongside vocalist John McCrea, trumpeter and keyboardist Vince DiFiore, and other early members. Brown played on CAKE’s first two studio albums, the 1994 debut Motorcade of Generosity and the 1996 follow-up Fashion Nugget, which propelled the band into national recognition.
Brown is credited as the sole songwriter of CAKE’s 1996 single “The Distance,” a track that went on to reach No. 4 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. The song remains one of the band’s most recognizable and enduring hits.
In a 2021 interview with Billboard, Brown discussed the song’s unexpected success, recalling how vocalist John McCrea immediately connected with the track. “I liked the way it sounded and everything, but I thought ‘Frank Sinatra’ was a much stronger choice for the single,” Brown said at the time. “But the record label chose it and it worked out.”
Brown departed CAKE in 1997 following a tour promoting Fashion Nugget. The band went on to release its third album, Prolonging the Magic, the following year. Reflecting on his departure years later, Brown told Billboard that his decision to leave was influenced by personal turmoil at the time. “As 51-year-old me, I see a much larger context of what was going on in my life,” he said. “I would just say there was a lot of turmoil at the time, and I felt like leaving CAKE would be a decision that would be good for my health.”
After leaving CAKE, Brown went on to form the band Deathray with former CAKE bassist Victor Damiani. He also participated in a short-lived side project led by Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo called Homie. Brown played on the song “American Girls” from the 1998 Meet the Deedles soundtrack and later contributed to a solo project by Matt Sharp.
Brown and Deathray released two albums in the early 2000s. Years later, he reunited with CAKE to contribute guitar work to the track “Bound Away,” which appeared on the band’s 2011 album Showroom of Compassion.
Despite his departure from the group in the late 1990s, Brown maintained a musical connection with CAKE’s frontman McCrea. In 2021, drummer Todd Roper noted the chemistry between the two musicians remained strong decades later. “Greg and John have — still, to this day — a very powerful chemistry together,” Roper said. “I basked in the warmth that came off of that.”
CAKE’s current lineup includes McCrea, DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Daniel McCallum, and drummer Todd Roper. The band’s statement emphasized Brown’s lasting impact on their early development, writing, “Greg was an integral part of CAKE’s early sound and development. His creative contributions were immense, and his presence — both musical and personal — will be deeply missed. Godspeed, Greg.”
No additional details regarding the illness were provided. The band asked for privacy as they mourn the loss of their former bandmate and friend.
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