TORONTO — Allen Lanier, a founding member of classic rock band Blue Öyster Cult, has died after a long battle with lung disease. He was 67.
Lanier, who played guitar and keyboardist on all of the band’s 14 studio albums, retired in 2006.
“DFTR sweet man,” read a message on the band’s website, referring to its hit song “(Don’t) Fear the Reaper.”
“We love you and miss you.”
On his Facebook page, Blue Öyster Cult singer Eric Bloom shared his thoughts of Lanier with fans.
“It was Allen who heard some old college band tapes of mine and suggested I get a shot as the singer in 1968,” he wrote. “A lot of great memories, over 40 years worth. We drove for years together, shared rooms in the early days. We partied, laughed, played.”
Bloom said smoking “finally got to him.”
Lanier is survived by his wife Dory, sister Mary Anne and mother Martha.
In the same week, the music world also lost Jon Brookes of The Charlatans.
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