(CNN) — Denny Laine, co-founder of bands Wings and The Moody Blues and longtime collaborator of Paul McCartney, died on Tuesday morning, according to Laine’s wife Elizabeth Hines. He was 79.

Hines wrote in a post on Laine’s official Instagram account that Laine had “been in ICU on a ventilator this past week.” She said Laine had Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), which “is unpredictable and aggressive.”

“He fought every day. He was so strong and brave, never complained,” she wrote.

A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Laine along with McCartney established the band Wings in 1971. They went on to win a Grammy for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus in 1975 for the title track off their third album “Band on the Run,” and later won for best rock instrumental performance for 1979’s “Rockestra Theme.”

Prior to Wings, Laine founded The Moody Blues in 1964, with whom he played until 1965.

Laine’s tenure with the Moody Blues was brief but effective. The musician co-founded the band in 1964 in Birmingham, England with keyboardist Mike Pinder, but left after the group released their 1965 debut album “The Magnificent Moodies.”

Laine noted in a 2017 interview with Billboard that he was part of the band’s early period as they transitioned from an R&B/blues band “to being more progressive.”

“We had this kind of hippie-dippy type of vibe going in those days, and they just developed it further,” he said. “But if it hadn’t been for Mike and Ray (Thomas) talking me into getting into their band, I could’ve been stuck in Birmingham and not done anything, so I’m grateful for that.”

Laine’s contribution to the Moody Blues was later recognized when he was included in the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018 alongside Pinder, Thomas, Graeme Edge, John Lodge and Justin Hayward.

Later on Tuesday, McCartney paid tribute to his former bandmate via social media.

“I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues,” he wrote, later calling him “an outstanding vocalist and guitar player.”

“Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humor and was always ready to help other people,” McCartney later continued. “He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends.”

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