British musician Denny Laine has died aged 79, his wife has announced.
Laine was a member of The Moody Blues during the 1960s and then joined Paul and Linda McCartney in the band Wings in 1971.
He sang on the massive Moody Blues hit Go Now and co-wrote the Wings classic Mull of Kintyre.
Laine’s wife, Elizabeth Hines, said he “passed away peacefully” following a battle with lung disease.
Soon after the news was announced, ex-Beatle McCartney paid tribute to “a great talent with a fine sense of humour”.
McCartney wrote on Instagram: “I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died.
“I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues. Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together. Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player.
“His most famous performance is probably Go Now – an old Bessie Banks song which he would sing brilliantly. He and I wrote some songs together, the most successful being Mull of Kintyre which was a big hit in the Seventies. We had drifted apart but in recent years, managed to reestablish our friendship, and share memories of our times together.
“Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour and was always ready to help other people. He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family.
“Peace and love Denny. It was a pleasure to know you. We are all going to miss you.”
In an Instagram statement, Elizabeth Hines wrote that it was an “absolute honour and privilege to not only be his wife, but to care for him during his illness and vulnerability”.
She wrote: “My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning.
“I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favourite Christmas songs for him. He’s been singing Christmas songs the past few weeks and I continued to play Christmas songs while he’s been in ICU on a ventilator this past week.
“He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation centre and eventually home.
“Unfortunately, his lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought everyday. He was so strong and brave, never complained.
“All he wanted was to be home with me and his pet kitty, Charley, playing his gypsy guitar.”