Dash Crofts, half of the US rock duo Seals and Crofts, has sadly died at the age of 85. The Texas-born musician, whose real name was Darrell 'Dash' Crofts, is best known for his hit singles Summer Breeze, Diamond girl and Get Closer. He shot to fame in the 1970s alongside his bandmate Jimmy Seals.

The hitmaker's death was announced by his producer, Louie Shelton, on Thursday evening (March 26). In a touching post on Facebook, Shelton wrote: "Sad to hear our dear brother and partner in music has passed away today. Sending love and prayers to all his family and many fans. R.I.P. my brother... Dash Crofts."

According to TMZ, the musician's family confirmed his cause of death as complications from heart surgery. According to the outlet, friends remembered him as a "true music legend" who "helped create some of the most timeless songs ever written."

Taking to Instagram, the US country singer Pauline Reese also shared a touching tribute to him alongside a series of snaps with Crofts. It read: "Yesterday we lost a true music legend, Dash Crofts. I had the honour of meeting Dash through one of his closest friends, my keyboard player Mitch Connell.

"Even more special, he came with his wife Louise to watch me perform. That is something I will never forget. I feel truly blessed to have got to know him, even if only a little bit. As one half of Seals and Crofts, Dash helped create some of the most timeless songs ever written, including Summer Breeze, Diamond Girl, and Get Closer.

"His music has a way of bringing a sense of peace. What stood out most to me was not just the music, but who he was. He was kind, humble, and full of soul. Rest easy, Dash. Your music will live on forever. My deepest condolences to his family and close friends."

His musical partner, James 'Jimmy' Seals, died back in 2022 at 80 years old. Seals and Crofts formed in the late 1960s, after they became friends as teenagers. As well as singing, Dash also played the guitar and mandolin, while Jimmy played the guitar, mandolin, the fiddle and the saxophone.

They were one of the few soft rock groups to take the world by storm, alongside Hall and Oates, America, Bread, and England Dan and John Ford Coley. The group famously disbanded in 1980, but reunited in 1991 and then again in 2004 to release their final album, Traces.

During their break, Dash released a solo album called Today in 1998 and worked on a Texan farm with horses. In 1969, he tied the knot with his wife, Billie Lee Day, and the pair lived out their days across the world, with residencies in Mexico, Australia, and Nashville, along with their daughters, Amelia and Lua.

Their daughters followed in his musical footsteps, with Amelia becoming a member of the musical group, the Humming Birds, which also features Jimmy's daughter Juliet Crossley and Genevieve Dozier, the daughter of Seals and Crofts engineer, Joey Brogan/