Vince Gill is mourning the loss of a longtime friend who he worked with for decades. Gill's guitar tech, Benny Garcia, died on Saturday (May 9) after a battle with pancreatic cancer. According to a press release, he was 64 years old.

Garcia was born in Tulsa, Okla., on May 7, 1956, and he and Gill became friends early on and bonded over their shared love of music.

“Benny and I had a 50-year friendship,” Gill shares. “We met as kids and played in our first garage bands together, and for the last 30 years, he traveled with me everywhere. And for the last 50 years we’ve been inseparable.”

Gill shared the picture above in remembrance of his friend, showing them together in their early years.

Garcia's obituary states that he died at his home in Oklahoma City with his wife of more than 40 years, Brenda, by his side.

Garcia is survived by his wife; his mother Clara; his sister, Lisa Renee’ Garcia, and her fiance, Jeff Wilder; brother Paul Garcia; Aunt Matilda Alviso and a number of cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, the well-known jazz and swing guitar player Benny Garcia, Jr. There will be no formal funeral for Garcia due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Friends and family will gather for a celebration of life for Garcia at a later date that has not yet been determined.

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