Tributes have been paid to legendary The Who guitarist John Entwistle who has died in his sleep on the eve of the band's North American tour.
The cause of the bassist's (57) death has still to be officially determined and a post-mortem examination is due to be carried out but it is thought Entwistle died of a heart attack.
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The Who's manager Bill Curbishly led the tributes to Entwistle and spoke of the band's devastation.
He said: "The entire Who family is terribly saddened by John's passing. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and the millions of Who fans the world over."
Entwistle's band mates are said to be too upset to talk about his death.
Ray Manzarek, keyboard player for the Doors, described him as "one of the great, great rock 'n' roll bassists of all time. A real genius".
Rocker Sammy Hagar added: "He just was the most humble rock star I have ever met, besides having the best hands of any bass player in the history of rock and roll."
Steve Luongo, who plays drums in The John Entwistle Band, said the guitar legend was on medication for a heart condition.
"As a musician, he did for the bass guitar what Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar," added Luongo.
The Who were due to open their three-month tour in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's concert venue The Joint. That concert has been cancelled and the fate of the rest of the tour remains undecided.
PA