Buck died Tuesday night at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center with his mother and stepfather at his side, said Blair Woods, the band’s publicist.

“The band and family both applaud the efforts of UPMC and its staff of doctors and nurses. They fought valiantly on Rob’s behalf,” Woods said.

A press release said the band’s thoughts and prayers were with Buck’s family. Buck wrote the music for some of the band’s best-known hits, including “Hey Jack Kerouac,” and “What’s The Matter Here?”

“Rob was a great guitarist and very underrated,” band member Dennis Drew told the Buffalo News. “He had a big influence on other bands. This is a very sad time for all of us.”

Born Robert Norman Buck on Aug. 1, 1958, in Jamestown, N.Y., he started playing guitar at the age of 6 and decided to become a professional guitarist at 16 after seeing “The Jimi Hendrix Story.”

Buck formed 10,000 Maniacs with Drew, Steven Gustafson, John Lombardo and NatalieMerchant in 1981, with the band picking its name for its shock value from the 1964 horror film”2,000 Maniacs.”

Buck was remembered by Rich Wall, program director of radio station WEDG in Buffalo, as a “talented guy always striving for originality in his guitar work.”

“His partnership with the rest of the Maniacs helped shape their sound,” Wall said.

“10,000 Maniacs was one of the seminal bands that helped form the shape of modern pop in the ’90s,” said Jack Barton, music director at radio station WYEP in Pittsburgh.

The band had most recently performed a series of U.S. dates in October. The band capped the year with a performance on November 3 with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

The members of 10,000 Maniacs have made no statement regarding the band’s future.