Status Quo Guitarist Rick Parfitt Dies At 68

Rick Parfitt, a British guitarist and songwriter for the the rock band Status Quo, has died in Spain at the age of 68.

The musician’s manager, Simon Porter, said Parfitt died from a severe infection after being admitted to hospital on Thursday following complications to a shoulder injury.

In a statement on Facebook, Porter wrote: “We are truly devastated to have to announce that Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt has passed away at lunchtime today.”

“He died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of a severe infection, having been admitted to hospital on Thursday evening following complications to a shoulder injury incurred by a previous fall,” Porter added.

Parfitt’s son, Rick Jr., also took to Twitter to express his grief, tweeting, “I cannot describe the sadness I feel right now. To many he was a rockstar, to me he was simply ‘Dad’, and I loved him hugely. RIP Pappa Parf”.

Status Quo formed in the 1960s and kept legions of devoted fans throughout the years. His partnership with Francis Rossi provided sparks on stage and in the studio. They were most popular in Britain but had followers in dozens of countries.

Parfitt, who is survived by his wife Lyndsay, their twins Tommy and Lily and his adult children Rick Jnr and Harry, joins a long list of celebrated musicians to have died in 2016 – including David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen.