One of the founding members of the band Journey has died.

George Tickner was 76.

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Co-founder Neal Schon announced Tickner’s death on Facebook, saying that the original rhythm guitarist was also a “songwriting contributor” on the band’s first three albums.

Tickner had played with Frumious Bandersnatch before founding Journey with Bandersnatch bandmate Ross Valory, Schon and Gregg Rolie.

They first publicly played together in front of 10,000 people on New Year’s Eve at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in 1973, Variety reported.

The band’s first album, which was self-titled, came out in April 1975.

Tickner left Journey in 1975 to attend Stanford Medical School on a full scholarship, TMZ reported. He left before the band hit it big, selling more than 100 million records and releasing songs such as “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Any Way You Want It.”

He eventually started a recording studio called The Hive with Valory and worked with various members of Journey over the years, according to Variety.

Tickner, according to TMZ, also still performed locally as a hobby.

Tickner reunited with Journey in 2005 when the band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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