A statement from his wife, Dorothy, and children, Kerr and Greta, said he had “passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side”. They said the musician would be “desperately missed by people all over the world”.

The late musician had been touring last year but was forced to cancel dates in November and December as he underwent treatment for a “nasty cancer”. A statement from his wife, Dorothy, and children, Kerr and Greta, said he had “passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side”.