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Steve Harley, best known for being the frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel, has died at the age of 73.

The English singer and songwriter, best known for the 1970s hit Make Me Smile, was receiving treatment for cancer.

“We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband, father and grandfather, has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side,” his wife, Dorothy, and children, Kerr and Greta said in a statement.

Undated handout photo issued by That Was Then...This Is Now of Steve Harley performing as part of the new show, an online on demand TV music show featuring performances and Q&As with various artists.
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Pic: PA

“The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four beloved grandchildren.

“Stephen. Steve. Dad. Grandar. Steve Harley. Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity, and much more, in abundance.

“Steve took enormous comfort from all of his fans’ well wishes during his battle, and we know he would want to thank you all deeply for your love and support throughout his career, and during his battle to the end.”

Harley’s family said they knew the singer would be “desperately missed by countless friends, family and devoted fans all over the world”.

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Sir Rod Stewart said he was “absolutely devastated” as he paid tribute to the musician, who he had “loved” and “admired”.

Harley helped to write a number of songs for Sir Rod, who covered Harley’s song, A Friend For Life, on his 2015 studio album Another Country.

Along with Make Me Smile, which went to number one in the UK charts in 1975, Cockney Rebel’s hits include Here Comes The Sun, Mr Raffles (Man, It Was Mean), Love’s A Prima Donna and Judy Teen.

Earlier this year, Harley was forced to say he could not commit to any concerts in 2024 due to ill health.

He had previously cancelled shows scheduled for spring and autumn of this year.

In a Facebook post in December, when announcing his cancer diagnosis, he said cancelling the shows were “heartbreaking” and gave an update on his treatment.

Pop Singer And Writer Steve Harley Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice 27 February 1951 Deptford London England) Is An English Singer And Songwriter Best Known For His Work With The 1970s Rock Group Cockney Rebel With Whom He Still Occasionally Tours (albeit With Many Personnel Changes Through The Years).

24 Jun 1974    Photographer
David Stevens/ANL/Shutterstock
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Steve Harley in 1974. Pic: David Stevens/ANL/Shutterstock

He also thanked fans for their support and “touching messages”, adding: “It means more than I can tell.”

Scottish musician Midge Ure hailed Harley as a “true ‘working musician'” in a tribute this afternoon.

Ure, who produced Harley’s 1982 track I Can’t Even Touch You, said in a social media post: “Steve Harley was a true ‘working musician’.

“He toured until he could tour no more, playing his songs for fans old and new.

“My thoughts go out to Dorothy and his family at this very sad time. Our songs live on longer than we ever can.”

File photo dated 17/11/16 of Cockney Rebel's Steve Harley during a recording of a charity single for the Jo Cox Foundation at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet, Essex. Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley has died peacefully at home at the age of 73, his family has announced. Issue date: Sunday March 17, 2024.
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Steve Harley in 2016 during a recording of a charity single for the Jo Cox Foundation. Pic: PA

Duran Duran bassist John Taylor thanked Harley for the music and “good vibes”. The band covered Cockney Rebel’s most famous song, Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) and Taylor said they were “so lucky” to have Harley guest with them.

“The moment Steve entered was truly chilling, and I still remember it today. An amazing moment.”

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly also said she “loved his music” and recalled watching the band as a teenager as she paid tribute.

Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Mike Batt, who worked with Harley on several songs, described the musician as a “dear pal” and “lovely guy”.

The pair worked together on tracks including Ballerina (Prima Donna) released in 1983 and were joined by Yes lead singer Jon Anderson for the 1988 charity single Whatever You Believe.

“Oh no! My dear pal, Steve Harley has died,” Batt posted on X.

“I just found out on Twitter. I was just writing about him yesterday in my autobiography.

“What a talent. What a character. What a lovely guy. My condolences to Dorothy and all. RIP, mate.”

Born in southeast London in 1951, he spent almost four years in hospital as a child after contracting polio.

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He joined the Daily Express as a trainee accountant aged 17 before working as a journalist for several regional newspapers including the East London Advertiser.

Paul Henderson, former editor of the Sunday Mirror who worked with him during this time, described him as a “great musician” and a “deep-thinking, compassionate man who wanted the best for his family and friends”.

Cockney Rebel began in the early 1970s in London after Harley spent several years performing at folk clubs in the city.

The band – after undergoing several line-up changes – released their debut studio album, The Human Menagerie, in 1973 and followed it up with 1994’s The Psychomodo which went to number eight in the UK charts.

File photo dated 26/02/75 of Steve Harley (centre) and Cockney Rebel, when they were top of the best selling pop charts with "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)", at London's Heathrow airport on their arrival from America and two-week tour of one-night stands. Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley has died peacefully at home at the age of 73, his family has announced. Issue date: Sunday March 17, 2024.
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Steve Harley (centre) and Cockney Rebel in 1975. Pic: PA

The band regrouped and changed its name to Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and it was under this moniker they released a string of albums including 1975’s The Best Years Of Our Lives, which peaked at number four.

Their biggest hit Make Me Smile has sold around 1.5 million copies and has been covered more than 120 times, including by Robbie Williams and Duran Duran, according to the Official Charts, as well as being featured in films including The Full Monty.

Harley also enjoyed a solo career from 1977 onwards and wrote for other artists, including his friend Sir Rod Stewart.

He went on to present the BBC Radio 2 show Sounds Of The 70s from 1999 to 2008.

Helen Thomas, head of BBC Radio 2, said: “All of us at Radio 2 are saddened to hear of the passing of former Sounds Of The 70s presenter, Steve Harley. We send our condolences to his family and our presenters are paying tribute to him on air.”

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Bradford: One child dies and four other people taken to hospital after house fire

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Bradford: One child dies and four other people taken to hospital after house fire

A child has died in a house fire in Bradford.

A woman and three other children managed to escape the property and are being treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police said: “At 1.08 this morning (5 May) police were called by the fire service to reports of a serious house fire on Kingsdale Drive, Bradford.

“A woman and three children managed to escape the property and were taken to hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not life-threatening.

Police at scene of fatal house fire in Bradford
Police at scene of fatal house fire in Bradford

“A fourth child was found inside the address and was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene,” police added.

“A scene is currently in place at the address and police are working with the fire investigators to establish the exact cause of the fire.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

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Rishi Sunak urges Tories to stick with his leadership after party suffers shock election losses

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Rishi Sunak urges Tories to stick with his leadership after party suffers shock election losses

Rishi Sunak has urged Tories to stick with his leadership despite the Conservatives’ shock defeat in the West Midlands mayoral election, which capped a dire few days of results for the party.

Sir Keir Starmer called it a “phenomenal result” which was “beyond our expectations” as Labour’s Richard Parker ousted Tory incumbent Andy Street, who had held the role for seven years.

The margin of victory was a cruelly tight 1,508 votes, and compounded Conservative disappointment as it followed another loss to Sadiq Khan in London, who secured a record-breaking third term as the capital’s mayor.

Local elections live
The mayoral election results

“People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour. Our fantastic new mayor Richard Parker stands ready to deliver a fresh start for the West Midlands,” Sir Keir said.

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‘Devastated’ Andy Street refuses to blame Sunak after West Midlands defeat

However, in an effort to win back those who had deserted his party over Labour’s stance on Gaza, he added: “I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past but felt that on this occasion that they couldn’t that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community.

“I have heard you. I have listened. And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.”

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Labour suffered losses to independents and George Galloway’s Worker’s Party of Britain in areas with large Islamic populations as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas.

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Starmer speaks at East Midlands victory rally

But the party virtually swept the mayoral elections board across England, winning in Liverpool, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and in Greater Manchester, where Andy Burnham returned to power.

The Tees Valley was the only remaining splash of blue left on the mayoral election map, where Lord Ben Houchen managed to cling to power despite a huge 14.1-point swing to Labour.

Lord Houchen’s victory was also mired by allegations he had sought to distance himself from Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party at large during his campaign.

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Sadiq Khan re-elected as London Mayor

Losing Mr Street, who is widely respected in the Tory Party and had an impressive track record of bringing investment into the West Midlands, is a body blow to the prime minister.

Despite the drubbing, Mr Sunak urged his party to stick with his leadership and his plan for government.

In a statement, he said: “It’s been disappointing of course to lose dedicated Conservative councillors and Andy Street in the West Midlands, with his track record of providing great public services and attracting significant investment to the area, but that has redoubled my resolve to continue to make progress on our plan.

“So we will continue working as hard as ever to take the fight to Labour and deliver a brighter future for our country.”

Pic: Reuters
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Rishi Sunak with Tees Valley mayor Lord Ben Houchen Pic: Reuters

However, Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, was quick to lay the blame for Tory losses firmly at the door of Number 10.

But she said ousting Mr Sunak “won’t work”, adding: “The hole to dig us out of is the PM’s, and it’s time for him to start shovelling.”

She urged him to adopt “strong leadership, not managerialism” on tax, migration, small boats, and law and order.

But Mr Street took a different view, encouraging the party not to veer to the right.

Asked if he is worried the party is drifting to the right and over-emphasising the threat from Reform UK while “ignoring other voters”, the outgoing mayor told Sky News: “I would definitely not advise that drift.

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Analysis of local election and mayoral results

Read more:
Charts tell story of Conservative collapse
Who is the new West Midlands mayor Richard Parker?

“The psychology here is really very straightforward, isn’t it? This is the youngest, most diverse, one of the most urban places in Britain, and we’ve done, many would say, extremely well over a consistent period,” Mr Street said.

“The message is clear: winning from that centre ground is what happens.”

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‘We will give this region a fresh start’ – Labour’s Richard Parker

Results are in from 106 of the 107 councils in England that held elections on 2 May, and Labour has won 1,140 seats, an increase of more than 200.

The Liberal Democrats beat the Tories into second place, winning 521 seats, up nearly 100.

The Tories were just behind on 513 seats, down nearly 400.

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

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Conservative Andy Street suffers shock loss to Labour in West Midlands mayoral race in blow to Rishi Sunak

Tory incumbent Andy Street has suffered a shock defeat to Labour in the West Midlands mayoral election after a partial recount was ordered.

Labour’s Richard Parker beat Mr Street by just 1,508 votes – 0.25% – to deliver a major blow to Rishi Sunak in the key electoral battleground after a hammering in the local elections.

With the race neck-and-neck, in the end it came down to the results in one borough – Labour-supporting Sandwell.

“This is the most important thing I will ever do,” Mr Parker said in his acceptance speech.

“I promise you that I will deliver jobs,” he added.

He told Sky News he would take buses “back into public control” and deliver the “largest programme of social housing we’ve had in this region for more than 40 years”.

And he thanked his predecessor, who he said had “led this region through a number of great challenges and you deserve great credit for that”.

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Mr Street told Sky News he was “personally devastated”, had “put my all into this”, and “genuinely believed we were making real progress across the region”.

He said it was “my campaign, totally”, adding: “I’m not going to try to push responsibility anywhere else. There’ll be no sloping shoulders from me.”

He wished his successor “all strength and wisdom”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “phenomenal result” and “beyond our expectations”.

He added: “People across the country have had enough of Conservative chaos and decline and voted for change with Labour.

“My changed Labour Party is back in the service of working people, and stands ready to govern.”

Labour's Richard Parker speaks as he is elected as the new Mayor of West Midlands, following the count at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Picture date: Saturday May 4, 2024.
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Labour’s Richard Parker has promised to deliver jobs

Local elections live
The mayoral election results

Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, said it was a “significant victory”.

She added: “Right across the country people have voted for change and the message is clear – it’s time for a general election and a Labour government to get our country’s future back.”

Labour’s Sadiq Khan has secured a historic third term as London mayor with a convincing win over Conservative rival Susan Hall.

These results will increase pressure on the prime minister, who had been hoping for a repeat of the success enjoyed by Conservative Ben Houchen who held on as the mayor of Tees Valley.

Sam Coates, Sky News’s deputy political editor, said he had seen messages from Conservative MPs’ WhatsApp group.

One from former cabinet minister Simon Clarke, whom Coates said “wants Rishi Sunak to leave”, said: “These results are awful and should be a massive wake-up call.

“If we fight the same campaign in a few months [in the general election] we’ll get the same outcome or rather worse.

“Reform UK standing more candidates will cause greater damage.”

Read more:
The winners and losers
Charts tell story of Conservative collapse

Analysis: Labour’s future success is less clear-cut

The loss of either the Teesside or West Midlands mayoralties would give Tory rebels who want to change leader a “huge amount of fuel”, former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said in the Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

Mr Street, who was seeking a third term in office, sought to distance himself from the Conservative brand during his campaign and instead ran on a personal platform.

Sky News recently revealed that Mr Street was sending out election literature with an endorsement from former prime minister Boris Johnson which urged people to “forget about the government”.

His campaign website also made no mention of Mr Sunak on its homepage and was coloured in green rather than Conservative blue.

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