Singer and songwriter Dan Fogelberg died of prostate cancer Sunday morning at his home in Maine. He was the one that defined the era of soft-rock with hits like "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne.” Dan Fogelberg was 56.

The announcement of his death was made by Anna Loynes of the Solters & Digney public relations agency in a statement Sunday. Also the statement was posted on his web site.

The statement said: "Dan left us this morning at 6:00 a.m. He fought a brave battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife Jean at his side. His strength, dignity and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him," the Associated Press quotes.

Fogelberg had in the 1970s and 1980s several hits like ''The Power of Gold'' and ''Leader of the Band,'' which is a tribute for his father, a bandleader, both for which he got platinum. He released his first album in 1972.

His latest record was “Full Circle” in 2003, the first album in 10 years. One year later he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.

In that year he wished to thank his fans for their support: "It is truly overwhelming and humbling to realize how many lives my music has touched so deeply all these years. ... I thank you from the very depths of my heart."

Even though his music had a serious tone, and talked about emotional issues, Fogelberg said in an interview in 1997 for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that these kind of songs don’t represent him.

He said: "That came from my singles in the early '80s. I think it probably really started on the radio. I'm not a dour person in the least. I'm actually kind of a happy person. Music doesn't really reflect the whole person.”

Fogelberg dropped out of the University of Illinois at Champaign and met Irving Azoff, a local music businessman, who later on became a management legend with clients like Christina Aguilera, Journey and Eagles.

Dan’s collection of greatest hits sold in the U.S. more than 3 million copies, denverpost.com reports.

 “Souvenirs," "Nether Lands," "Phoenix" and "The Innocent Age" sold 2 million copies each stateside.

He also wrote some material regarding the state of environment, an issue that mattered to him.

When he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 he was forced to put off the fall tour. He also urged others to go and get tested.