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Alexander Ziembiec died Saturday, Nov. 26, at the age of 26, according to his obituary. A cause of death was not given.
Born in Albany on Sept. 18, 1996, Ziembiec grew up in Guilderland and graduated from Bishop Maginn High School, his memorial said.
With a “lifetime passion” for music, he was a self-taught guitarist and an accomplished drummer, having toured the country on numerous occasions as the original drummer with Prince Daddy & The Hyena, according to his obituary.
Founded in Albany in 2014, the band’s sound is described as indie rock with punk and “slacker” influences. The group has gone on to release three full-length albums and four extended plays.
Their most popular song, "Hidden Track," from their 2015 EP Adult Summers, has more than 6.8 million plays on Spotify.
The band paid tribute to Ziembiec in an Instagram post on Monday, Nov. 28, saying his loss hurt.
"We will all miss the hell out of you," reads the post. "Thank you for being you. I'm grateful we got to do a few more victory laps around the country and rock a few more songs together."
The band also posted several photos of the group together on Twitter.
Ziembiec’s 4th grade teacher, Tara Molloy-Grocki, remembered him on Facebook as “very smart, kind, talented, and really funny.”
“I know there are many people mourning his death including my son,” she wrote. “Alex will be missed. I wish there were words to take the pain away.”
“Still remember the awesome display of musical talent on the drums when I went to see him play in Rochester,” James Ziembiec wrote on his online memorial. “You will be missed.”
Ziembiec is survived by his father Stephen and mother Kristine, brother Brian, maternal grandfather Robert Kokes, and paternal grandparents Thomas and Christine Ziembiec.
Memorial services were held Tuesday, Nov. 29, at Canon Funeral Home in Colonie.
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