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Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who also had a solo career, died Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He was 65.

Officers were called to Mr. Welch's home on West Oak Highland Drive at 12:18 p.m. after the musician's wife discovered his body, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said.

"He died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest," Aaron said. "A suicide note was found in the residence."

Mr. Welch was a guitarist and vocalist for Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. He formed the British rock group Paris in 1976 and had hits including Sentimental Lady in 1977 and Ebony Eyes in 1978. Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham did backing vocals on Sentimental Lady.

According to Aaron, family members told investigators that Mr. Welch had been dealing with health issues in recent months.

Family friend Bart Herbison, executive director of the National Songwriters Association, which includes the California Songwriters Association, the Nashville Songwriters Association International and the Texas Songwriters Association, said the musician had been through spinal surgery about three months ago.

"It had become apparent to Bob that he was not going to recover, that he was going to become an invalid," Herbison said. "He had seen his father become an invalid and watched his mother care for him for many years. In the letter he left, he told (his wife) Wendy, 'I'm not going to do this to you.' "

Herbison went on to say he'd never seen a couple more in love than Bob and Wendy Welch. He'd known them for about 15 years, he said.

"I've been privileged to meet a lot of famous musicians throughout the years," Herbison said. "Your fame and notoriety will take you to a lot of places where you have to go by yourself, but not Bob. He never went anywhere without Wendy."

Left band in 1970s

Fleetwood Mac's career took off in the mid-1970s after Mr. Welch left the band. "Dreams" was a No. 1 hit in 1977 and Don't Stop the same year. It later became the anthem for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. "Hold Me" was a hit in 1982 and "Little Lies" in 1987.

Mr. Welch, a native of Los Angeles, scored his biggest hit with Sentimental Lady, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart. His other singles included Precious Love in 1979 and Hot Love, Cold World in 1978.

When Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, Mr. Welch was not included in the group.

"It basically comes down to the fact that they don't like me anymore," he told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland at the time. "I guess they can do what they want. I could understand it if I had been a sideman for a year. But I was an integral part of that band. … I put more of myself into that band than anything else I've ever done."

Longtime Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks told The Associated Press that Mr. Welch's death hit her hard.

"The death of Bob Welch is devastating. … I had many great times with him after Lindsey and I joined Fleetwood Mac. He was an amazing guitar player — he was funny, sweet — and he was smart. I am so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac — so, so sad. …"

Founding member Mick Fleetwood did not immediately respond to emails for comment Thursday.

As a songwriter, Mr. Welch had his songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Sammy Hagar, The Pointer Sisters and others.

In 1999 he released a CD, Bob Welch Looks at Bop, a salute to bebop music in the 1940s.

In an interview with The Tennessean in 2003, Mr. Welch said he never dreamed he'd be remembered for much.

"I just wanted to play guitar in a good band," he said. "I wanted to make the music I love. I wanted to travel the world and have adventures."

Mr. Welch also said "music is disposable now. It doesn't have the emotional impact anymore. That's sad."

He had lived in Nashville since the 1990s.