Steve Mackey, the bass guitarist for Britpop band Pulp, has died aged 56.
"After three months in hospital, fighting with all his strength and determination, we are shocked and devastated to have said goodbye to my brilliant husband," his wife Katie Grand said in a post on Instagram.
"Steve was the most talented man I have ever known, an exceptional musician, producer, photographer and filmmaker.
"As in life, he was adored by everyone whose paths he crossed in the multiple creative disciplines he conquered.
"He will be missed beyond words."
Besides playing with Pulp and working as a music producer and co-writer, Mackey was also a photographer and film maker.
Steve's 'back in those mountains now'
Fronted by singer Jarvis Cocker, Pulp was formed in the English city of Sheffield in the early 1980s but it was not until Mackey came on board in 1989 that the band began to enjoy popular acclaim.
Albums including 1994's His 'n' Hers and the following year's Different Class, which spawned the hit singles Common People and Disco 2000, made them one of the biggest bands of the 1990s Britpop scene.
Pulp posted their own tribute to Mackey on social media, sharing a photo of him climbing in the Andes in 2012.
"We had a day off and Steve suggested we go climbing in the Andes," the band said.
"It was a completely magical experience. Far more magical than staring at the hotel room wall all day (which is probably what we'd have done otherwise).
"Steve made things happen, in his life and in the band. And we'd very much like to think that he's back in those mountains now, on the next stage of his adventure."
Pulp is scheduled to tour the UK later this year.
Last year Mackey said he would not take part in the concerts, saying he was "exceptionally proud of the body of work created together" but decided instead to focus on his own "music, film-making and photography projects".
British group Massive Attack also paid tribute to Mackey, posting a photo along with a line from one of the band's 90s hits, Sorted for E's & Wizz.
ABC/AFP
