AceShowbiz -

Indie guitarist Benjamin Curtis has passed away. The School of Seven Bells founding member died on December 29 at the age of 35 after losing his fight against T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma cancer. He was diagnosed with the illness less than a year ago. He passed away at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the band's manager Brady Brock revealed to E! Online.

"We lost our friend and brother Benjamin Curtis to his fight against cancer," the band announced on their Facebook. "We kindly ask that his immediate family, friends & bandmates' privacy be respected during this time."

"We can't thank all of you who supported him and his music through the years enough. All of you who attended or participated in the various benefits in and around New York City over the past year since his diagnosis, and of course those who contributed and gave generously to help support him throughout that journey."

"You made it possible for all of us, and for him, to see how truly loved he was and how many lives he had touched through his music by your gestures. We will all miss this incredibly talented and rare person every day, but we are fortunate enough that he shared with us his music, and that is something that we can keep forever."

Curtis was a member of rock band The Secret Machines before he left to form School of Seven Bells with Alejandra Deheza. Before playing in the Secret Machines, he was the drummer for Dallas alternative rock band Tripping Daisy.