--- description: The 71-year-old former bassist for Cream co-wrote unforgettable hits including "Sunshine of Your Love" and "White Room" title: Former Cream Bassist Jack Bruce Dies of Liver Disease image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbf3a6fa340a821dd/698762c95f570f2944b12efe/147980625.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Former Cream Bassist Jack Bruce Dies of Liver Disease by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 25, 2014 4:15 PM CUT  Jack Bruce performs on stage during North Sea Jazz Festival at Ahoy on July 6, 2012 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Jack Bruce performs on stage during North Sea Jazz Festival at Ahoy on July 6, 2012 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.Rob Verhorst—Redferns via Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 25, 2014 4:15 PM CUT Jack Bruce, Cream’s former bassist, songwriter and singer, [has died of liver disease](http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/25/jack-bruce-former-cream-man-dies-aged-71?CMP=twt%5Fgu "undefined") at the age of 71. “It is with great sadness that we, Jack’s family, announce the passing of our beloved Jack: husband, father, granddad, and all round legend,” his family said in a statement, according to The _Guardian_. “The world of music will be a poorer place without him but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts.” Bruce was the principal singer and songwriter in Cream, co-writing hits including “[White Room](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKyGn%5FuxkPU "undefined")” and “[Sunshine of Your Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbqQL0J%5FVr0 "undefined")” with lyricist Pete Brown. He had an ongoing rivalry with drummer Ginger Baker that guitarist Eric Clapton was often helpless to stop. Bruce struggled with drug addiction and financial troubles in the 1970s after Cream’s breakup, but continued to play as a session musician and as part of small groups. In 2003 he underwent a liver transplant after being diagnosed with cancer, and played with a reunited Cream for a series of shows in 2005. \[[_The Guardian_](http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/25/jack-bruce-former-cream-man-dies-aged-71?CMP=twt%5Fgu "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3538924/cream-jack-bruce/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3538924/cream-jack-bruce/"},"headline":"Former Cream Bassist Jack Bruce Dies of Liver Disease","datePublished":"2014-10-25T16:15:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T11:00:51.793Z","description":"The 71-year-old former bassist for Cream co-wrote unforgettable hits including \"Sunshine of Your Love\" and \"White Room\"","url":"https://time.com/3538924/cream-jack-bruce/","keywords":["celebrities","Music"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbf3a6fa340a821dd/698762c95f570f2944b12efe/147980625.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbf3a6fa340a821dd/698762c95f570f2944b12efe/147980625.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"North Sea Jazz Festival 2012 - Day 1","caption":"North Sea Jazz Festival 2012 - Day 1","creditText":"Rob Verhorst—Redferns via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3538924/cream-jack-bruce/","name":"Former Cream Bassist Jack Bruce Dies of Liver Disease"}}]}] ```