The death of legendary British musician, Neil Innes has been announced, as his agent on Monday 30th December 2019, confirmed that the musician has died. He was just 75.
According to his agent, Nigel Morton, he said Neil Innes had not been ill and his death was unexpected, the UK Evening Starndard reports.
In a statement released a few hours ago, his family said: “It is with deep sorrow and great sadness that we have to announce the death of Neil James Innes on 29th December 2019.
“We have lost a beautiful kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all.
“He died of natural causes quickly without warning and, I think, without pain.
“His wife Yvonne and their three sons Miles, Luke and Barney and three grandchildren Max Issy and Zac give thanks for his life, for his music and for the joy he gave us all.”
The star wrote music for Monty Python albums including Monty Python’s Previous Record and The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief.
He performed and penned songs and sketches for the Pythons’ final TV series in 1974 after John Cleese temporarily left.
Neil Innes was also a member of The Rutles, a rock band who were originally a sketch group that emulated the Beatles and later on released an album.
Innes was a frequent collaborator with the Monty Python and toured the UK and Canada with them.
He was only one of two non-Pythons to be credited as a writer for the TV series, alongside Douglas Adams.
He also appeared in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian and Terry Gilliam’s Jabberwocky before joining with Eric Idle on the sketch show Rutland Weekend Television, about a fictional low-budget regional TV station.
Innes performed in The Rutles as Ron Nasty, styled after John Lennon, and played the guitar, keyboards and sang, the UK Evening Standard added.