Prog Rock Legend Peter Banks Dead At 65

Peter Banks, one of the founding members of British progressive rock band Yes was found dead in his London home.

Lead guitarist and rock legend Peter Banks died on March 7 in his home. His body was found after he did not show up for a recording session.

The news of the Peter Banks's death was first reported via his website the following day.

Banks was a renowned guitarist and a pioneer of progressive rock. He was best known for his involvement with the band Yes of which he was a founding member and the lead guitarist.

A statement from his fellow Yes band members read, "We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of fellow bandmate and founding Yes member, Peter Banks."

"He was a huge piece of the fabric that made Yes what it is, and our thoughts, sincere condolences and prayers are with him and his family. Peter, we shall miss you greatly," the statement said.

Former Yes star Billy Sherwood addressed the sad news of Peter's death on Facebook by writing, "Peter very recently played on the new prog collective 2 project I'm writing/producing, as well as the days between stations record I worked on. As a Yes fan... this is sad news indeed. It was an honor to work with Peter on many productions. He will be missed!!!"

Yes was formed in 1968 and paved the way for many other progressive rock bands.

According to an official press release, Peter Banks played on the first two Yes albums. At that time they were heralded for their symphonic style and complex instrumentation.

After leaving Yes, Banks started another group, Flash, and released three highly praised albums. He then went on to form another group called Empire.

Peter Banks also recorded five solo albums over the course of his career.