Guitarist and composer Keith Levene, one of the founders of The Clash, died in his home in Norfolk, England.
He was 65 and had cancer.
In the mid-1970s he met Mick Jones, and formed an early version of the band;
he and manager Bernard Rhodes convinced singer Joe Strummer to join the group.
Levene appeared in the first Clash concerts and contributed to the composition of at least one song but soon departed probably due to the increasingly political direction taken by the group.
Levene achieved greater success with Public Image Ltd. with vocalist John Lydon (known as Johnny Rotten) and bassist John Wardle (known as Jah Wobble).
Their first album, Public image: first issue, reached number 22 in 1978, preceded by the single Public image, which reached the top 10. Their second album, 1979's Metal box, is considered a post-punk classic.
Levene also left PIL (in 1983) at odds with Lydon over the recordings of the new material.
In the following years he collaborated on various musical projects (including several soundtracks) and published some solo works, without forgetting a reunion with Wobble.
He published an autobiography called "I was a teen guitarist for the Clash" in 2015 and worked on a book about the history of Public Image Ltd. with writer Adam Hammond.
(GettyImages)
Keith Levene
His partner, Kate Ransford told the Guardian that he died "in peace, welcoming and loved".
The family requested respect for privacy.