Michael Ward, former guitarist for the Wallflowers and School Of Fish, has died. He passed away on Monday April 1 due to complications from diabetes. He was 57.

His sister Tracy Ward Hartfiel announced his death on Tuesday on Facebook. “Michael Ward has left this plane,” she wrote. “It’s with tremendous sorrow that I let you know complications from diabetes took his life last night. Obviously, we are all in shock and overcome with grief. This is all I can handle writing right now. Please tell the people you love just how much they mean to you.”

On Wednesday, the Wallflowers shared a tribute to Ward on Facebook. “With love and gratitude the Wallflowers say farewell to the great and singular Michael Ward,” they wrote. “Michael’s role and talents will forever remain a crucial part of the band’s history. His contributions to music began before his time with the Wallflowers and continued long after his time with the band. Listening to Thin Lizzy on a sorrowful day. Rest now Mike. Much love to his family and his two children.”

Ward was born in Minneapolis in 1967 and formed School Of Fish in 1989 with Josh Clayton-Felt and later members Michael Petrak and David Lipson. They signed to Capitol Records in 1990 and released their self-titled debut in 1991, which contained the college radio hit “3 Strange Days.” They shared their second album Human Cannonball in 1993 before breaking up later that year.

Ward joined the Wallflowers in 1995, playing on 1996’s Bringing Down The Horse and 2000’s Breach. “One Headlight,” from Bringing Down The Horse, became their biggest hit and won the band two Grammy Awards in 1998: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song. Ward left the group in 2001 and later performed with Ben Harper’s band the Innocent Criminals as well as Gogol Bordello.