Rick Buckler, the drummer of The Jam, has died aged 69 after a short illness.
Buckler was a founding member of the band in 1972, playing in The Jam's classic line-up alongside bass player Bruce Foxton and lead singer and guitarist Paul Weller.
A statement from Buckler's management company read: "Rick Buckler, best known as the legendary drummer of The Jam, passed away peacefully on Monday evening in Woking, after a short illness with family by his side.
"Rick was a loving husband, father and grandfather and was a devoted friend to many, who will be greatly missed.
"His family have asked for privacy and respect during this time."
In a post on his verified Instagram account, Weller said: "I'm shocked and saddened by Rick's passing. I'm thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking.
"To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey. We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time. My deepest sympathy to all family and friends."
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Weller also shared a tribute from Foxton on the account, which read: "I was shocked and devastated to hear the very sad news today.
"Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs.
"I'm glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did."
Foxton said his thoughts were with Buckler's family "at this very difficult time".
With The Jam, Buckler featured on six studio albums, including In the City (1977), All Mod Cons (1978), and Sound Affects (1980).
The Jam are best known for tracks such as Town Called Malice, Going Underground, and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.
The band split in 1982 and never fully reunited, but Foxton and Buckler subsequently played together on a number of occasions.
After The Jam ended, Buckler went on to form a number of groups including Time UK, Sharp, which also featured Foxton, and The Gift, named after The Jam's last studio album and playing music from the band's back catalogue.
Buckler toured with From The Jam, a new band playing covers of his first group, from 2007 to 2009, where he was joined by Foxton, who is still touring with the group.
He also wrote a number of books on the history of The Jam, along with his own autobiography, That's Entertainment: My Life in The Jam, which was released in 2015.
Source: Press Association
.svg)