Defenders Of The Faith, le forum Metal

Founding Blue Oyster Cult keyboardist and guitarist Allen Lanier has died at the age of 66 after being hospitalized with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, according to the band’s official Facebook page . “DFTR sweet man,” the post reads, in apparent reference to their hit ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper.’ “We love you and miss you.”

Apart from a two year absence in the ’80s, Lanier was with B.O.C. from their inception in 1967 until his retirement in 2006. He co-wrote several songs for the group, including ‘True Confessions ,’ In Thee ,’ ‘Tenderloin ,’ and ‘Lonely Teardrops .’ In November 2012 he rejoined his former bandmates on stage for the last time at a special New York concert commemorating the release of a career-spanning box set.

According to WebMd , Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a lung disease that restricts breathing, “caused by damage to the lungs over many years, usually from smoking.”

B.O.C. singer Eric Bloom paid tribute to his friend on his own Facebook page . Here is that statement in full:

“My great friend Allen Lanier has passed. I’ll miss the guy even though we hadn’t spoken in awhile. He was so talented as a musician and a thinker. He read voraciously, all kinds of things, especially comparative religion. We drove for years together, shared rooms in the early days. We partied, laughed, played. All BOC fans and band members will mourn his death. Ultimately smoking finally got to him. He had been hospitalized with C.O.P.D. It was Allen who heard some old college band tapes of mine and suggested I get a shot as the singer in 1968. A lot of great memories, over 40 years worth. Maybe he’s playing a tune with Jim Carroll right now.”