Stuart Cable, RIP

Stuart Cable was a decent guy. He was good company, amusing and free of any obvious hang ups. In the early days of the Stereophonics he was the light-hearted balance to Kelly's more brooding nature, and the band needed some of that. When he parted around 2003, the group dynamic changed a lot. I wasn't familiar with his cable TV adventures, but I gather they were well received and I assumed that rock and roll had given him a decent payback and some value from his surname.

The Stereophonics may not enjoy the kudos that Kelly would like, but it really was exhilarating to watch them on the rise in the late '90s - crowned at Cardiff Castle and then rampant at the Morfa Stadium. Other musicians may have found the ascent difficult, when whenever I saw Stuart, he always had a refreshing drink in his hand and a smile on his face.