R.I.P.: Michael Brown, Keyboardist For The Left Banke

Michael Brown

Michael Brown, the initial guiding force behind influential 1960s pop act the Left Banke, has died.

According to OregonLive.com, the group's Tom Finn announced on Facebook on Thursday.

Brown was the keyboardist and main songwriter for the group, though he left in 1967 after just one album. He co-wrote and wrote, respectively, the band's best-known songs, "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina" -- tracks that also served as the title of their classic debut album.

The band's use of strings and harpsichord earned them the label "baroque-pop," while their tuneful sensitivity echoes on in the work of acts such as Belle & Sebastian, Elliott Smith and Jens Lekman, whose "Black Cab" sampled the band's "I've Got Something On My Mind."

Both "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina" were said to be inspired by bassist Tim Finn's girlfriend, Renée Fladen.