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<\/p>\nMusician Denny Laine, the lead singer of rock band\u00a0The Moody Blues and guitarist with Sir\u00a0Paul McCartney’s group Wings, has died aged 79.<\/p>\n
His wife Elizabeth Haines said on Tuesday that he had died following a long battle with lung disease.<\/p>\n
She said in a statement: ‘I was at his side, holding his hand as I played his favourite Christmas songs for him.’<\/p>\n
Denny sung on The Moody Blues’ 1965 multi-million selling single Go Now and\u00a0co-wrote the Wings hit Mull of Kintyre.<\/p>\n
The singer-songwriter, real name Brian Hines, was born in October 1944 in Birmingham and grew up in the city.<\/p>\n
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Musician Denny Laine, the lead singer of rock band The Moody Blues and guitarist with Sir Paul McCartney’s group Wings, has died aged 79 (pictured in 2016)<\/p>\n
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He started playing guitar after he was inspired by the late jazz guitarist and composer Django Reinhardt.<\/p>\n
The performer formed band\u00a0Denny and the Dilpomats in the 1960s, with the group featuring\u00a0Wizzard singer Roy Wood.<\/p>\n
When they split he created\u00a0The Moody Blues and found success with their hit Go Now as well as a number of R&B-influenced singles.<\/p>\n
They released their first studio album\u00a0The Magnificent Moodies – named\u00a0Go Now: The Moody Blues #1 in the United States – in 1965.<\/p>\n
The band put out a total of 16 albums, with their last, December, being released in 2003.\u00a0<\/p>\n