Mike Ratledge, keyboardist and founding member of the English rock band Soft Machine, has died. He was 81. Soft Machine’s guitarist John Etheridge confirmed his former bandmate’s death in a Facebook post Wednesday, Feb. 5, Louder reported.

He worked on the band’s first nine studio albums and performed with The Jimi Hendrix Experience on two North America tours because they were under the same management. The keyboardist had the longest tenure in the band before making his exit in 1976 to pursue a solo career.