Comedian Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67, according to an official statement shared by his family through his Twitter account. He died "after a long illness," the specifics of which were not shared.

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried," read the statement. "In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend, and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor."

The statement making reference to Gottfried's "iconic voice" is true in many ways. Gottfried rose to fame in part thanks to the affected, shrill voice he exaggeratedly employed in his stand-up ever since the 1980s--which eventually got him in the door as a Saturday Night Live repertory player in Season 6 of the long-running show.