Jimmy Bain, the 68-year-old bassist for the rock band Dio, died during the weekend, apparently while on a heavy metal-themed cruise ship that left from Miami last week.
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, who performed with Bain in Dio and their new band Last in Line, confirmed Bain's death on Facebook.
"It's with the heaviest of hearts that I must confirm the news of the passing of our dear friend and Last in Line band-mate, Jimmy Bain," Campbell wrote Sunday.
Last in Line was scheduled to perform on Def Leppard's Hysteria on the High Seas cruise to the Bahamas. The ship was scheduled to leave Thursday from Miami and return Monday morning.
Campbell didn't say how Bain died, but a post on an unofficial Def Leppard fan site said Bain died before the band's Saturday night performance.
"Jimmy's struggles with his demons were well documented through the years, but over the last 18 months he had finally won that battle and he was bright and lucid and motivated throughout the writing and recording of the new record," Campbell wrote.
Bain performed with multiple rock groups through the years, most notably when he teamed up with former Rainbow and Black Sabbath vocalist Ronnie James Dio to become a member of the band Dio in 1983. His most recent band was preparing to release its debut album next month.
Last in Line drummer Vinny Appice commented Monday about Bain's death in a Facebook post.
"Yes it's true our brother Jimmy Bain has passed and we are very sad about the news and in shock," Appice wrote. "We the band are also saddened that the news leaked out before we were able to contact Jimmy's family."
Appice said the news spread on the Internet within an hour-and-a-half and was "confirmed by people that have no business confirming anything about this and not knowing the facts of the situation." He apologized to Bain's family "about this nonsense that seems to prevail on the Internet to be the first one to post something and attach themselves to a tragedy like the loss of our brother Jimmy."