Hank Jackson, aka The Sugarhill Gang's Big Bank Hank, has died, as TMZ reports. He was 57 years old. The cause is believed to be cancer. The other two founding members of the Sugarhill Gang, Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien, told TMZ, "So sad to hear of our brother's passing. Rest in peace Big Bank."

Jackson joined the Sugarhill Gang in the late 70s when producer/Sugarhill Records founder Sylvia Robinson was looking to record a group to capitalize on the then-nascent hip-hop movement. They became known for their 1979 single, "Rapper's Delight", which is commonly credited as the first song to bring hip-hop to a wide mainstream audience.