Celeb News

Bert Jansch Dies

Legendary folk musician Bert Jansch has passed away aged 67 in London.

Bert Jansch has passed away.

The highly influential folk musician died aged 67 from lung cancer at a hospice in Hampstead, North London in the early hours of this morning (05.10.11). He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2009.

Jansch was a founding member of the group Pentangle, and his final performance had been a reunion with the band in August.

Spokesperson for the guitarist, Mick Houghton, said: "I don't know anyone who had less of a sense of celebrity. He was always very self-effacing and critical adulation was completely irrelevant to him."

The virtuoso guitarist had received two Lifetime Achievement prizes at the BBC Folk Awards, for his solo work in 2001 and again in 2007 as a member of Pentangle.

Jansch has been cited as an influence by guitarists as diverse and respected as Jimmy Page, Johnny Marr, Nick Drake, Graham Coxon, Donovan, Neil Young, Bernard Butler and Paul Simon.

The Scottish musician had recorded 23 albums under his own name, the most recent of which was 'Black Swan' in 2007.

John Barrow, who helped the musician throughout his career, told the BBC he was a "hard-working musician" and "a great man".

He added: "He was very quietly spoken. People used to say to me, 'he doesn't talk much, does he?' But when he could play the guitar like that, why should he be talking?"

Tributes have also been paid by Everything Everything, Hurts and Graham Coxon.