The Moody Blues and Wings musician Denny Laine has died at the age of 79.
His wife Elizabeth Hines confirmed the news on Instagram, writing: “My world will never be the same.”
He reportedly died from lung damage after battling interstitial lung disease.
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“My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning,” Hines wrote.
“I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favorite Christmas songs for him.
“He’s been singing Christmas songs the past few weeks and I continued to play Christmas songs while he’s been in ICU on a ventilator this past week.”
“He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation center and eventually home.”
“Unfortunately, his lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought everyday. He was so strong and brave, never complained.”
“It was my absolute honor and privilege to not only be his wife, but to care for him during his illness and vulnerability.”
Hines added that she and the family need privacy to grieve the loss and said she’ll ”love him forever”.
“My world will never be the same. Denny was an amazingly wonderful person, so loving and sweet to me. He made my days colorful, fun and full of life-just like him,” she wrote.
She finished: “Thank you sweetie for loving me, for all the laughter, friendship, fun and for asking me to be your wife. I will love you forever ❤️.”
The British musician worked with Paul McCartney in the band Wings, which formed in 1971 in London.
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McCartney penned a moving tribute to Laine, writing on Instagram: “I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died.”
“I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues. Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together.”
“Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player. His most famous performance is probably ‘Go Now’ an old Bessie Banks song which he would sing brilliantly.”
He added: “Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour and was always ready to help other people. He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends.”
“I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family. Peace and love Denny. It was a pleasure to know you. We are all going to miss you.”
Laine is survived by his wife and five children.
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The Moody Blues formed in Birmingham in 1964, while Wings formed in 1971.
Laine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Interstitial lung disease causes scarring of the lung tissue.
Entertainment Weekly reports his wife recently wrote on Laine’s GoFundMe page that he had been in and out of hospital recently with an illness that affected his lungs after battling covid-19 last year.