Eddie Money is dead at the age of 70.
While early reports stated the cause of death as esophageal cancer, which Money's family revealed he had earlier this month,TMZ cities a source close to the singer that says it was complications associated with his heart valve procedure from a few months ago.
The grandson, son and brother of New York police officers, Edward Mahoney was an NYPD trainee until he chose to follow his musical dreams. Moving to the San Francisco Bay area, he was discovered by legendary manager Bill Graham. Under the stage name Eddie Money, he signed with Columbia Records, where his 1978 debut album spun off his first two hits, "Baby Hold On" and "Two Tickets to Paradise." Substance issues slowed his career at times, but he remained a popular tour attraction into the 2010s.
He also turned his life story into a theatrical piece. He has staged several productions ofTwo Tickets to Paradise: The Musical -- in which he serves as the narrator -- over the past decade.
Money made several sitcom appearances including King of Queens, which starred fellow New Yorker Kevin James, and on the current Michael Douglas hit The Kominsky Method. Eddie and his family star in the current AXS TV reality series Real Money. But his most enduring TV moment came when he spoofed himself in a long-running GEICO commercial.
Source: Premiere and TMZ