Longtime E Street Band member Danny Federici died on Thursday after a three-year battle with melanoma. He was 58.

Federici's association with Bruce Springsteen dates to before the formation of the E Street Band; he backed the Boss in early projects such as Child and Steel Mill. During his 35-year run with the E Street Band, Federici played organ, glockenspiel, and accordion. He also released two solo albums of jazz instrumentals.

In a statement on his Web site, Springsteen said of his late cohort: "Danny and I worked together for 40 years—he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much...we grew up together."

Here's a clip of Federici playing accordion on "Sandy" in his last performance with the band, in Indianapolis on March 20 of this year.