"Our thoughts today are with Robert Nix, our founding drummer, who passed away this morning."

Robert began his professional career in Roy Orbison's backing group The Candymen.

He co-founded Atlanta Rhythm Section in 1970 and stayed with the band until 1979, recording nine albums with the group.

Robert Nix grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from Paxon Senior High School in 1962. He was close friends with Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd since childhood. That's how he ended up drumming on Tuesday's Gone, the second track on Lynyrd Skynyrd's first album '( pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)'.

Robert was living near Memphis, Tennessee. He suffered from diabetes and had been in the hospital for more than a month after undergoing surgery.

The drummer was working on a memoir titled 'The Days of Love and Blood'. According to Robert's brother, Michael Nix of Jacksonville, the family is unsure if any of it will be published.