Seventies glam rock singer Alvin Stardust has died at the age of 72, after recently being diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.
The popular singer was known for his leather-clad, rockabilly image and hits such as My Coo Ca Choo, Jealous Minds, Red Dress and I Feel Like Buddy Holly.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Stardust was a regular on the BBC's must-watch TV chart show Top of the Pops.
Despite Stardust's somewhat tongue-in-cheek image, he was hugely successful and notched up an impressive collection of gold and platinum discs.
The singer was undoubtedly one of the big pop names of his era. He was much in demand and featured regularly on the small screen, including the 1975 London Weekend Television pop series Supersonic alongside other big chart stars of the time such as David Essex (top left), Linda Lewis (front left), Gilbert O'Sullivan (centre) and Suzi Quatro (front right).
In 1976, Stardust was pictured in a jovial mood with members of the singing dance troupe Guys And Dolls outside Westminster Cathedral, London, where they had been rehearsing for a concert.
Into middle age, Stardust continued to practise his music. He participated in A Song for Europe, the UK qualifying heat of the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1985 with the song The Clock on the Wall. He came third behind Vikki and Kerri Wells.
In later life, the singer took on acting and TV presenting roles. He had roles in TV soaps Hollyoaks and Doctors and in the TV movie of The Grimleys. But he also continued to tour as a performer and made guest appearances at events such as the Goodwood Festival in 2009.
Over the decades, Stardust had made many celebrity friends and fans, especially those who grew up listening to and buying his music. Radio and TV presenter Jonathan Ross was among them and he invited Stardust on to his BBC Radio 2 show
- Published23 October 2014
