Andy Fraser, British Bassist of the Band Free, Dies at 62

It's been confirmed that Andy Fraser, bassist for the British band Free, died on Monday. Although the exact reason for death is not known, he was battling both cancer and AIDS for years.

The official statement released reads:

"Andrew McLan Fraser passed away on Monday at his home in California. He leaves behind his daughters Hannah and Jasmine Fraser, and their mother Ri, his sister Gail, brothers Gavin and Alex, and many friends and associates in the industry. A survivor of both cancer and AIDS, Andy was a strong social activist and defender of individual human rights."

Fraser is probably best known for the hit song "All Right Now," which he co-wrote, and shot to the No. 4 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles charts. He also wrote songs performed by Robert Palmer, Chaka Khan, and Rod Stewart. In 2008, Fraser, by then a California resident for decades, wrote and performed a song called "Obama (Yes, We Can)" as an endorsement of the future U.S. president.

As The Advocate reports: Fraser had two daughters with his ex-wife Henrietta Fraser, but he did not admit to himself that he was gay until he was in his thirties. In 2005, at age 53, he publicly came out in the pages of The Advocatesaying, "I'm a late bloomer. It took up until now to pluck up the nerve." He also disclosed that he had contracted HIV in the early 1990s.

Watch "All Right Now" from 1970 below: