BERLIN, Jan. 25 -- German rock musician Francis Buchholz, best known as the long-serving bassist of Scorpions, has died at the age of 71.

His family announced his death in a Facebook post on Friday, saying Buchholz passed away on Thursday after a private battle with cancer.

"He departed this world peacefully, surrounded by love," the family said, thanking fans for their continued support throughout his career.

Buchholz began playing bass as a teenager and went on to co-found the band Dawn Road in the early 1970s with Uli Jon Roth, Jurgen Rosenthal and Achim Kirschning. The group later merged with Scorpions, joining vocalist Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker.

His first recording with Scorpions was the 1974 album Fly to the Rain...