Wendell Holmes, legendary blues musician with the band The Holmes Brothers, passed away this weekend, reported the New York Times. He was 71 years old.
Holmes died at his home in Rosedale, Md., due to complications from pulmonary hypertension, said his manager Paul Khan.
His death comes days after entering hospice care, according to News Oxy. In a message to fans, he expressed his gratitude for their support. "As I write this letter, I am preparing to go home on hospice care. One benefit of hospice is the time it allows you to say some of the things you want to say to those you love and care about," wrote Holmes. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to say 'thanks' to many friends for your many expressions of love to me and my wife Barbara."
The guitarist, vocalist, pianist and songwriter formed The Holmes Brothers in 1979 with his older brother, bassist Sherman Holmes, and drummer Willie "Popsy" Dixon. Together, the group released 12 studio albums, according to Billboard. The band was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in September 2014, a high honor for blues and folk artists in the United States.
Sherman plans to continue the band's legacy, as The Holmes Brothers Project, with the help of musicians Brooks Long and Eric Kennedy. The Holmes Brothers' last album "Brotherhood" was released in 2014 on Alligator Records.
"Great songs, whether we write them or not, bring great things," said Holmes in the band's biography. "And we are all about striving to write, find and perform great songs."
Check out The Holmes Brothers performing "Dark Cloud" for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert:
