John Cleese pays touching tribute to Monty Python collaborator Neil Innes

Monty Python collaborator Neil Innes has died at 75, and the tributes from former colleagues and fans alike are pouring in.

The agent for the singer and songwriter confirmed his death on Monday, while a statement on Innes' website said that he "died of natural causes" on Dec. 29, CNN reports.

Innes was especially known for his work writing songs for Monty Python, including several from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he was referred to as the "seventh Python." Along with Douglas Adams, he was one of only two non-Python members to write for Monty Python's Flying Circus, Rolling Stone notes. He also performed in the Beatles parody band The Rutles and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

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Monty Python's John Cleese was among those to pay a touching tribute to Innes on Monday, calling him a "a very sweet man, much too nice for his own good" and a "lovely writer and performer." Cleese also wrote that he's "utterly dismayed" to hear about his former collaborator's passing.

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's Adrian Edmondson, meanwhile, remembered Innes as the "most-talented-but-least-ambitious man I ever met, a real gent with a beautiful soul," adding, "I never had anything but the best of times with him." Actor Mark Gatiss also paid tribute and recalled Innes' "brilliance," while Stephen Fry remembered him as "a great songwriter, great voice, great man."

Innes is survived by his wife, three sons, and three grandchildren, and his family said in a statement Monday they "give thanks for his life, for his music, and for the joy he gave us all."