Bobby Keys, the longtime saxophonist for English rock band The Rolling Stones, passed away on Tuesday due to illness at 70 years old, Reuters reported.

Michael Webb, a keyboardist who regularly collaborated with Keys, told Associated Press that Keys passed away at  his home at Franklin, Tennessee surrounded by family when he sadly passed on.

Keys was with The Rolling Stones earlier this year while on tour before he had to bow out due to illness. After receiving the news, the members of The Rolling Stones expressed their sadness over the loss of their friend.

The band released an official statement on their website and said, "Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly missed."

The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards wrote a note addressed to Keys and posted in on his Twitter account. He expressed his sadness over losing his "largest pal in the world" and also wrote, "I will miss you, Bobby."

Keys and Richards shared the same birthdate, born on Dec. 18, 1943, and have been friends for a long time, with Richards often calling Keys his favorite musician and his soul mate, according to Associated Press.

Keys first recorded with The Rolling Stones in the late 1960s before he was asked to join them on tour. Over the past decades, he has been a part of the band's major tours and was often invited to perform his solo piece on "Brown Sugar."

Keys was a teenager when he first started playing the saxophone in the 1950s for Buddy Holly, according to ABC.

In his lengthy career, he has played with the likes of George Harrison, John Lennon, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and of course The Rolling Stones. He led the horn section during the band's studio recordings or when out on tour, and has been noted for his contributions to the band's albums, the 1971 "Sticky Fingers" and 1972 double album "Exile on Main St."