Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET

Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist for the iconic Canadian prog rock band Rush, has died. He was 67 years old.

His death was announced Friday by spokesperson Elliot Mintz, who said that Peart died on Jan. 7 in Santa Monica, Calif. Peart had been diagnosed with brain cancer three and a half years ago.

On Friday, Rush released a statement: “It is with broken hearts and the deepest sadness that we must share the terrible news that on Tuesday our friend,