Los Angeles: John Walker, the lead singer of the hit 60’s pop group The Walker Brothers passed away here following a a six-month battle with liver cancer. He was 67.
The singer-songwriter of the band whose popularity once rivalled ‘The Beatles’ died on Saturday at his home surrounded by family, confirmed his representative, reported Entertainment Weekly online.
The official John Walker website said that it was with “deepest sadness” that it had to report the musician’s death describing him as a “beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, friend, and artiste.”
John, the founder member of the group teamed up with Scott Engel and Gary Leeds to become ‘The Walker Brothers’ in the 1960s.
They achieved chart success with their love songs like Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine.
Interestingly the California band had more success overseas and they became chart-toppers in the UK.
Though the band broke up in 1968, reportedly because of rivalry between it’s members, they reunited six years later and continued making music before partying ways again in the 70s.
Walker made a solo return to music in the past decade, releasing four albums and toured the UK in 2009. He also teamed up with Leeds to write a joint autobiography, The Walker Brothers: No Regrets, Our Story, the same year. (PTI)
