He died Wednesday at home in Pittsburgh following a brief illness, according to his wife, Francesca, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter.

We regret to inform you of the passing of our cherished brother, Lou Christie, who passed away following a brief illness. In addition to his family and close friends, he was loved by innumerable fans whose lives he touched by his generosity and kindness, his talent for music and art, his humor, and his spirit. We all feel a deep emptiness in our hearts when he is gone. He will always be loved, remembered, and missed terribly. On Instagram, the Sacco family paid homage to Christie.Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, Lou Christie grew up in the small Pennsylvanian town of Glenwillard, which is close to Pittsburgh. His interest in music was evident from an early age. In his teens, he started performing after studying voice and music theory. Eventually, he and Twyla Herbert, a pianist with classical training who was several decades his senior, developed a long-lasting songwriting collaboration. Over the years, they collaborated to write hundreds of songs.