Getty Images/iStockphoto
Greg Brown, founding member and original guitarist of Sacramento rock band Cake, has died after a brief illness, according to a social media post from the band.
Cake, the alt-rock band formed in Sacramento in 1991, rose to national fame throughout the decade, particularly after the band’s second album, Fashion Nugget, went platinum with Brown writing the lead single, “The Distance.” Other founding members included singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, drummer Frank French, and bassist Shon Meckfessel.
“Greg was an integral part of Cake’s early sound and development,” the band’s statement, posted Saturday, read. “His creative contributions were immense, and his presence — both musical and personal — will be deeply missed.”
Brown left Cake in 1997, forming the band Deathray and working on other projects before appearing with Cake again in 2011 as a guitarist on the song “Bound Away.”
Commenters on Reddit remembered Brown as a “Sacramento legend.”
“On a list of bands that speak to my soul, Cake is at the top,” one user, evoterra, wrote.
This story was originally published February 8, 2026 at 12:18 PM.
Related Stories from Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee
Camryn Dadey is The Sacramento Bee’s Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova watchdog reporter. She is a 2022 graduate of Sacramento State.