Bob Welch, the former Fleetwood Mac singer and guitarist, was found dead in his Nashville home yesterday. Welch’s wife found him, and the apparent cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Welch was 66.

A Los Angeles native whose family was heavily involved in show business, Welch played in a number of bands throughout the late ’60. He joined Fleetwood Mac in 1971, after a few members of the group’s original lineup had left, and he played guitar and sang on several of their albums. Welch left the band in 1974, just before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the group, and he went on to a fairly successful solo career, with Fleetwood Mac founder Mick Fleetwood managing him well into the ’80s.