Brian Howe, the former lead singer of the British rock band Bad Company, has died after suffering a heart attack at his Florida home aged 66.
Howe’s friend and manager, Paul Easton, confirmed the rocker’s passing in a statement.
“It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of a loving father, friend and musical icon, Brian Howe,” Mr Easton said.
Howe was found suffering from cardiac arrest at his home in Lake Placid, Florida, according to the statement.
Oh, man. This is awful to hear. I finally met Brian last December, after having been a fan of his for decades. He came to my show in Florida and we hung out after. His voice was a gift to all of us. RIP mate. https://t.co/atxyFKdEtK
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) May 7, 2020
Rescue workers were able to have a short conversation with him, but Howe slipped away and did not regain consciousness.
The singer, who came from Portsmouth, began his US career with Ted Nugent’s Penetrator album, which was released in 1984.
Howe joined Bad Company in 1986 after the group’s original singer, Paul Rodgers, left.
The band’s second Howe-era album, 1988’s Dangerous Age, went gold with more than 500,000 sales.
The 1990 album, Holy Water, attained Top 40 and platinum status by selling more than one million copies.
Howe left Bad Company in 1994 to pursue a solo career.
He continued to tour with his band until earlier this year, when the coronavirus pandemic forced virtually all live performances to stop.
“I feel we are all put in this world for a reason,” Howe’s son Michael said in a statement.
“The passion for music was my father’s, and I am so happy that his legacy will live on.”