Alvin Stardust has died aged 72 after a short illness, his manager has confirmed.
The ‘70s pop singer, who is best known for hits such as My Coo Ca Choo, was recently diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He died at home in West Sussex surrounded by his wife and family.
Stardust was born Bernard Jewry in London in 1942. He had his first taste of stardom when he was asked to front the rock group Shane Fenton and the Fentones after the eponymous Shane (16-year-old Johnny Theakstone in real life) died suddenly of a heart condition.
The band won a record deal and enjoyed a handful of hits, including I’m a Moody Guy, Cindy’s Birthday and It’s All Over Now. But Jewry disappeared from the music scene for almost a decade after the band broke up.
He re-emerged in the ‘70s in an almost unrecognisable new persona: the sulky and sideburn-ed Alvin Stardust.
My Coo Ca Choo, his debut single, was an instant hit when it was released in 1973. Stardust went on to produce seven top ten singles for the UK charts and played a number of roles in musical theatre, including the menacing child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He was due to release his first album since 1984, entitled Alvin, next month.
The singer was married three times - most recently to actress Julie Paton - and had four children.
His manager, Andy Davies, said: “Alvin and I had only started working together over the last couple of years because he and I believed that, musically, he still had a great deal to give and explore, and so we recorded an album that is a testament to an artist who gave his career to music.
“I may not have known him long but even in that short time he proved to be one of the most genuine and likeable men I’ve ever met. His passing is a huge and sad loss.”