Bluegrass Musician and Yonder Mountain String Band Co-Founder Jeff Austin Dies at 45

Singer and songwriter Jeff Austin formed Yonder Mountain String Band in 1998 and was a pillar of the jam band and bluegrass scene.

As reported by CNN, Jeff Austin's manager, Barron Ruth, confirmed that Austin passed away unexpectedly after canceling his upcoming shows.

The cause and details of his death were not revealed, other that Austin passed away in Seattle after he was put in a medically induced coma.

Austin was born in Chicago and founded Yonder Mountain String Band with Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufman in the late nineties.

The group went on to release six Top 10 albums, as well as three singles that reached the Number One spot on bluegrass Charts.

The 45-year-old musician left the Yonder Mountain String Band in 2014 and produced his first solo album the following year, titled "The Simple Truth."

His former fellow bandmates took to Facebook and paid tribute to Austin and offered prayers and support to "his family and for the journey they now face without him."

They also said that any fans who wished to support his family could do so by donating to the Jeff Austin Family Fund.

Austin is survived by his mother Eileen, wife Devlyn and their three children, 12-year-old Rose, five-year-old Penelope, and two-year-old Jude Patrick.