Dan Fogelberg, an icon of the 70s soft-rock scene, has died following a three-year battle with prostate cancer. He was 56.

Fogelberg was a key component of the golden age of the confessional singer/songwriter, joining the likes of James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne and more in turning pop music's focus inward after the '60s' explosion of social commentary. He had started as a rocker in bands around his hometown of Peoria, Ill., but began performing solo while attending the University of Illinois.

Some of his best-known songs were "Longer," "Leader of the Band," and "The Power of Gold."

Beginning in 1982, Fogelberg lived on a lavish 610-acre ranch near Pagosa Springs, CO. He put the ranch on the market in 2005, a year after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.