Mark Sheehan, guitarist, and co-founder of the Irish rock band The Script, has passed away.

The band said the 46-year-old man died in the hospital on Friday after being sick for a short time.

In 2001, Sheehan, lead singer Danny O’Donoghue, and drummer Glen Power got together to form the band.

Sheehan was a “much loved husband, father, brother, bandmate, and friend,” according to a post on the band’s social media pages.

It asked people to leave his family and bandmates alone.

Sheehan’s peers in the entertainment business were quick to pay tribute to him.

Laura Whitmore, an Irish TV host, said in a post on Instagram, “Thinking of you all at this time. Mark was one of the nicest and most talented men you could meet.”

Jedward, an Irish pop duo, paid tribute to Mark on Instagram by writing, “Everyone in the Irish music industry and worldwide mourn your loss RIP Mark such a talented musician from The Script, one of the most iconic Irish groups of our generation.”

Kodaline, another Irish rock band, also paid tribute. They wrote on Twitter, “So sorry to hear about Mark Sheehan’s death.”

Sheehan was born in Dublin, Ireland, on October 29, 1976, in the Mount Brown neighborhood of The Liberties. He was married to Reena Sheehan, with whom he had three children.

He sang, wrote songs, and played the guitar. He loved music from a young age.

He was in the band Mytown with The Script’s lead singer, O’Donoghue, from 1996 to 2001.

In 2001, Sheehan was the band’s guitarist, O’Donoghue was its singer-songwriter, and Power was its drummer.

After getting a record deal with Sony Music Group, the band moved to London.

There, they put out their first full-length album, “We Cry.” It went to number one in Ireland and the U.K.

After that, they went on a three-album winning streak in both countries with Science & Faith, #3, and No Sound Without Silence.

Science & Faith got to number 3 in the U.S. and number 2 in Australia.

Since then, the band has kept touring the world and putting out albums of their own music, which combines Irish themes with pop-rock sounds.

They were known for writing songs from the heart, like “If You Could See Me Now,” which was about the deaths of the father of the lead singer, O’Donoghue, and both of Sheehan’s parents.

Fans have been wondering why Sheehan took a short break from the stage over the past year.

Sheehan didn’t show up for the band’s U.S. tour in 2022. O’Donoghue told the press that their fellow band member was taking a break to be with his loved ones. He described the group to Sunday World as “a band of brothers who stick together no matter what,” and he explained that they were all in agreement with Sheehan’s decision.

The Queen was at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in 2013 and saw a performance by The Script. She then briefly talked with lead singer Danny O’Donoghue.

When Sheehan heard about the royal engagement, he said he thought “people were messing with us.”

The Script is going to be with the American singer P!nk when she goes on tour in Europe later this year.