Jim Seals has died at the age of 80.
Friends and relatives of the star confirmed he died on Monday, but no cause of death was immediately given.
Cousin Brady Seals took to Instagram to share the news, writing: "I just learned that James ‘Jimmy’ Seals has passed. My heart just breaks for his wife Ruby and their children.
"Please keep them in your prayers. What an incredible legacy he leaves behind."
Jim formed the popular band Seals and Crofts alongside Darrel 'Dash' Crofts in 1969 and they went on to have big hits such as Summer Breeze, Diamond Girl and Get Closer.
The band never got to number one, but the tunes made it into the Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
They broke up in 1980 but went on to have several fleeting reunions in the decades that followed.
Fellow musicians also paid tribute to Jim following the news.
Among those sending messages of condolence was John Ford Coley who took to Facebook to share a lengthy tribute.
He wrote: "I spent a large portion of my musical life with this man. We toured together, he and Dash invited us to sing on Seals and Crofts records, and we played with him for years.
"I thought he was a bona fide, dyed in the wool musical genius and a very deep and contemplative man. We didn’t always agree and it wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always fun but it definitely was always entertaining for sure."
He concluded the post with a nod to one of Jim's songs: "This is a hard one on so many levels as this is a musical era passing for me. And it will never pass this way again, as his song said."
Fans of the singer also took to Twitter to share their own messages.
One user tweeted: "Summer Breeze epitomises everything good about life. Jim Seals captured it in that magnificent piece of art. He obviously came from a spiritual place with songs like "Hummingbird," "We May Never Pass This Way Again," etc.
"We were blessed to have him."
Another said: "Hope you feel an eternal “Summer Breeze” Jim Seals. #RIP #SealsCroft"
Jim is survived by wife Ruby and their children Joshua, Juliette and Sutherland.
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