Sir Rod Stewart said he was “absolutely devastated” following the death of Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley.
The musician, whose rock band rose to prominence in the 1970s, died “peacefully at home” at the age of 73, his family announced.
British rock singer Sir Rod paid tribute to the musician he “loves” and “admires”.
In a statement seen by the PA news agency, he said: “I am absolutely devastated, words are inadequate.
“Cockney Rebel has abandoned us.
“I loved and admired you, Steve, and always will. Sir Rod Stewart.”
Harley had helped write a number of songs for Sir Rod, and the former Faces frontman covered Harley’s song A Friend For Life, which appeared on his 2015 studio album Another Country.
Pop band Duran Duran performed Cockney Rebel’s most famous song Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) and bassist John Taylor thanked Harley for the music and “good vibes”.
In a statement seen by PA he said: “Man, Cockney Rebel was amazing, the first two albums – perfection.
“Then the number one pop song ‘Come Up And See Me’ brought Harley into the mainstream.
“We were so lucky to have him guest on this song… The moment Steve walked in was truly chilling and I still remember it to this day. It’s a great moment.
“Thank you Steve for your music and good energy. We will miss you.”
The late musician was on tour last year but had to cancel his concerts in November and December as he was treated for a “nasty cancer”.
In the statement made by his wife Dorothy and his children Kerr and Greta, it was stated that he “passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.”
They said the musician would be “desperately missed by people all over the world.”
In a post on her official website on Christmas Eve, Harley revealed that she had cancer and wished her fans a “happy, healthy new year.”
He said: “I am fighting a nasty cancer. My oncologist is pleased with the effects of the treatment so far. It’s tiring and tiring. But the fight continues.”
Culture Club’s lead singer, Boy George, said he cried after Harley’s death.
“He’s an amazing songwriter. “One of my heroes.” He wrote to X.
Oh no! My dear friend Steve Harley has passed away. I just found out on Twitter. I was writing about him in my autobiography yesterday. What a great talent. What a character. What a nice man. My condolences to Dorothy and everyone. RIP, man. I will write more soon 😢
— Mike Batt LVO (@Mike_Batt) March 17, 2024
Singer-songwriter Mike Batt, who collaborated with Harley on a number of songs including 1983’s Ballerina (Prima Donna) and the 1988 charity single What You Believe, hailed the musician as a “dear pal” and “lovely guy”.
“I was writing about him in my autobiography yesterday,” Batt added in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“What a talent. What a character. What a nice man. My condolences to Dorothy and everyone. RIP, man. I will write more soon.
Scottish musician Midge Ure, who produced Harley’s 1982 track I Can’t Even Touch You, hailed him as “a true ‘working musician'”.
“He toured until he could never tour again, playing his songs for fans old and new,” he wrote on social media.
“My thoughts are with Dorothy and her family at this very sad time. Our songs live longer than we can live.
TV presenter Lorraine Kelly also said she “loved their music” and recalled watching the band perform the tributes in her youth.
Paul Henderson, the former editor of the Sunday Mirror who worked with Harley in the East London Advertiser newsroom in the 1970s, described him as “a great musician” and “a deeply thoughtful, caring man who wanted the best for his family and friends”. .
Harley was born in Deptford, south London, in 1951 and spent almost four years in hospital due to a childhood illness.
His band, Cockney Rebel, released their debut studio album The Human Menagerie in 1973 and followed this with The Psychomodo in 1974, which reached number eight in the UK charts.
The band regrouped and changed their name to Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and released a number of albums under that name, including 1975’s The Best Years Of Our Lives, which reached number four.
It also featured the song Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me), which reached number one in the UK charts and was later covered by dozens of artists and appeared in films such as The Full Monty.
On the original 1986 release of Phantom Of The Opera, Harley duetted with Sarah Brightman on the title track, and the song reached number seven in the charts.
He was originally cast for the lead role in the musical but was later replaced by Michael Crawford.
The musician joined fellow artists including Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson and singer-songwriter KT Tunstall on a charity single recorded in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox in 2016.