Rocker Gared O'Donnell has tragically died at the age of 44 after a battle with oesophageal cancer.

The Planes Mistaken For Stars guitarist and vocalist went public with his diagnosis in August last year, and his heartbroken bandmates confirmed the sad news in a post on Instagram.

“It is impossible to express the depth of sorrow in which we must announce that Gared O’Donnell, our brother, our leader, our captain, who has done more to cultivate love and light in this world than any of us can understand, has moved on from his physical form here with us and crossed the rainbow bridge into the eternal ether,” they began their emotional statement.

“In his final days/hours, he was surrounded by the love of his family, his friends, his bandmates, and many others from afar,” they continued. “A titan, a pillar, a beacon, no one that knew him wasn’t touched or inspired.

The rocker sadly passed away after being diagnosed with cancer last year (
Image:
Instagram)

“The gift he gave us was himself, fully unselfishly pouring his life, love, and soul out to the world, so honestly that it hurt,” his devastated friends added.

They shared a picture of Gared relaxing on the hood of his truck, calling him a “mythical beast” and thanking him for helping to create their “family” of fans.

At the end of every Planes show, Gared urged us all to take care of each other… A plea for us to appreciate every heart wrenching, beautiful, and terrifying moment life has to offer,” they added.

In a direct tribute to their adoring fans, who mourned the loss of the frontman, the band concluded: “So thank you all for your love and support over the years. His life was richer because of it.”

His bandmates called him a 'mythical beast' (
Image:
Getty Images)

Since going public with his cancer diagnosis, he has spent the last year writing and recording music, and his Planes Mistaken For Stars bandmates confirmed they would be releasing his music posthumously.

“We are currently working hard to bring these multiple final projects to completion,” they wrote, adding that Gared would’ve wanted them to “complete what we had started together”.

Since news of his death was confirmed by the band, heartbroken fans have paid tribute to the rocker, and in the comments on the post, they shared their favourite memories of Gared.

“A titan in performance, a poet through his lyrics, and a goddamn genius songwriter. Impossible to quantify the mountains of inspiration Gared gifted so many of us,” one wrote.

Gared co-founded the band in 1997 (
Image:
Instagram)

“Thank you for the riffs, the screams, and the soundtrack to so many pivotal points in my life,” another added.

“One of the truest of dudes. Digging trenches on tour with Gared and co. are some of my most cherished memories from the road,” one wrote, as a fan simply commented: “You have our hearts friends. Utterly devastated.”

Gared O’Donnell co-founded Planes Mistaken for Stars in Illinois, with guitarist Mat Bellinger, drummer Mike Ricketts, and bassist Aaron Wise back in 1997.

After several world tours, the band disbanded in 2007, before reuniting in 2010.