Chick Corea, the iconic jazz musician and legendary keyboard player, passed away from a rare form of cancer discovered recently, according to a post on his official Facebook page.

"Throughout his life and career, Chick relished in the freedom and the fun to be had in creating something new, and in playing the games that artists do," the post reads. "He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather, and a great mentor and friend to so many. Through his body of work and the decades he spent touring the world, he touched and inspired the lives of millions."

In 1968, Corea replaced Herbie Hancock in Miles Davis’ group, playing on the landmark albums "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew."

He formed his own avant-garde group, Circle, and then founded Return to Forever. He’s worked on many other projects, including duos with Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He recorded and performed classical music, standards, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to great jazz pianists.

Along the way, he racked up 23 Grammys, the most jazz Grammys in the show's history. 

The post included a message from Corea to his fans: “I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun."

“And to my amazing musician friends who have been like family to me as long as I’ve known you: It has been a blessing and an honor learning from and playing with all of you," the message continued. "My mission has always been to bring the joy of creating anywhere I could, and to have done so with all the artists that I admire so dearly — this has been the richness of my life.”

In 2020, Corea released the double album "Plays," which captured him at various concerts armed simply with his piano.

"Like a runner loves to run because it just feels good, I like to play the piano just because it feels good," he told The Associated Press at the time. "I can just switch gears and go to another direction or go to another song or whatever I want to do. So it’s a constant experiment."

The double album was a peek into Corea’s musical heart, containing songs he wrote about children decades ago as well as tunes by Mozart, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder, among others.

Corea is the artist with the most jazz Grammys in the show’s 63-year history, and he has a chance to posthumously win at the March 14 show, where he’s nominated for best improvised jazz solo for "All Blues" and best jazz instrumental album for "Trilogy 2."

He was 79.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.