Grammy-winning saxophonist David Sanborn has passed away following a battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

David's demise was confirmed by his family in a statement shared on social media on May 14.

The full announcement:

"It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, six-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist David Sanborn. Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications.

"Mr. Sanborn had been dealing with prostate cancer since 2018 but had been able to maintain his normal schedule of concerts until just recently. Indeed, he already has concerts scheduled for 2025.

"David Sanborn was a seminal figure in contemporary pop and jazz music. It has been said that he "put the saxophone back into Rock ’n Roll.”

David played music at a young age. According to dailymail.co.uk, David played music at a young age. By the age of 14, he performed with Albert King and Little Milton.

The performer studied music at Northwestern University and the University of Iowa before joining the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. They performed together at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969.

Later, David became a session musician and performed with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie. He played alto saxophone on the latter's hit 1975 album Young Americans, the report said.

In 1982, David won his first Grammy Award, when he took home the distinction for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for his work on the track All I Need Is You, the dailymail.co.uk reported. It added the musician won five more Grammys over the length of his career.