Dan Fogelberg, whose hits in the '70s and '80s were a staple of soft rock radio, died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56.

Fogelberg's death was announced in a statement on his Web site. "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," it read. "His strength, dignity, and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him."

Fogelberg wrote and sang a string of hits starting in the 1970s, including "Leader of the Band," "The Power of Gold," and "Same Old Lang Syne." The songs were similar to those of fellow sensitive singer-songwriters James Taylor and Jackson Browne.

Fogelberg was born into a musical family in Peoria, Illinois, in 1951 and was in a band called the Clan by the age of 13. He drifted from music for a spell and attended the University of Illinois at Champaign as a drama major, in hopes of pursuing an acting career, but soon returned to playing music.

It was then that Fogelberg caught the attention of a University of Illinois alumnus named Irving Azoff, then the manager for REO Speedwagon and eventually one of the most famous band managers in music history. Azoff helped Fogelberg get the attention of Clive Davis, who signed Fogelberg to Columbia Records.

Fogelberg released his 1972 debut album, Home Free, to critical praise but little commercial success. But his sophomore release, Souvenirs, rode the hit "Part of the Plan" to double-platinum heights

From there, a string of hits followed, including "Same Old Lang Syne," "Run for the Roses," "Hard to Say," and "Leader of the Band," the latter of which was a tribute he wrote to his father, a bandleader.

Fogelberg's last album was 2003's Full Circle, his first album of original material in a decade.

Fogelberg first learned that he had cancer in 2004, which forced him to cancel a planned fall tour that year. He issued a statement thanking fans for their support. "It is truly overwhelming and humbling to realize how many lives my music has touched so deeply all these years," he said.