Singer and guitarist Mickey Baker passed away Tuesday at his home in France  from heart and kidney failure, according to the New York Times. He was 87.

Mickey was best known among fans of popular music as one half of Mickey & Sylvia, along with Sylvia Vanderpool. Together, they recorded the hit single “Love Is Strange” in 1956. However, Baker’s influence on music extended further than one pop song in the 50s; he was a sought-after session musician who played on such songs as “Shake, Rattle & Roll” by Big Joe Turner, “Such A Night” by The Drifters, and “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Big Maybelle. His aggressive take on rhythm & blues guitar, along with some incomparable solos, were a huge influence on rock ‘n’ roll as a whole, and his guitar part on “Love Is Strange” is said to have been an influence for a young Jimi Hendrix.

Mickey was born in Louisville, Kentucky; not much is known about his early life other than that it was difficult. He was raised in an orphanage in Kentucky while his mother spent time in and out of jail. At age 15, he moved to New York after running away from the orphanage and spending time in St. Louis and Chicago. When he started to pursue a career in music, he originally wanted to play trumpet, but he didn’t have enough money to purchase a trumpet. Instead, he bought an old guitar from a pawnshop, and he never looked back.

He played in jazz bands for most of his early career, but he switched to rhythm and blues after deciding that he wasn’t going to make much money playing jazz. After that, he became one of the most important musicians in the development of rock ‘n’ roll.