BBCTrevor Oakes (top left) died in February after a long illness, it has been announcedFormer bandmates have paid tribute to Showaddywaddy guitarist Trevor Oakes, who has died following a long illness.
His death on 18 February at the age of 79 was announced "with great sadness" in a statement on the band's website.
Oakes, from Leicester, was in the band Choise when it combined with Golden Hammers to form Showaddywaddy in the city in 1973.
Ex-frontman Dave Bartram told the BBC Oakes was "an innovator and a fantastic asset to the band".
The band had their first hit single, Hey Rock and Roll, in 1974 and had 15 UK top 20 hit singles during the 1970s.
They sold millions of records, including top five hits Under the Moon of Love, You Got What It Takes and Three Steps to Heaven.
Showaddywaddy regularly performed on Top of the Pops in the 1970sA sheet metal worker before joining the band full-time, Oakes played his final gig with Showaddywaddy in 2008.
He then moved to Devon and "kept his hand in playing on the local pub scene", before he retired from music and came back to Leicester.
In a tribute posted on the band's website on Thursday, Bartram said he first met Oakes at a hotel on the outskirts of Leicester in 1969 and they "instantly hit if off".
He added: "Trevor was a unique character and a dedicated professional, without whom the band would never have scaled the dizzy heights we seemed destined to achieve.
"He was also a caring and affectionate family man, with a mischievous sense of humour, which will be sadly missed by all those dear to him.
"I could write a book about the incredible memories we've shared over the past fifty-seven years, but most of all I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his unwavering friendship."
'We became great friends'
Drummer Romeo Challenger described Oakes as a "brilliant songwriter" and said he "will be in my heart forever".
Meanwhile, Russ Field, the band's former guitarist, said Oakes had an "uncanny natural talent to write catchy melodies and lyrics".
In his tribute to Oakes, former drummer Malcom Allured said: "We became great friends during our time in Showaddywaddy, and we kept in touch over more recent years.
"Thank you for the great memories Trevor, and for the songs, especially Trocadero."
Speaking to the BBC, Bartram said Oakes had been "an extraordinarily important component to the band".
He added: "The chemistry was so right between the band when we took off.
"We hit on this rock and roll thing and the reaction we were getting was quite startling.
"We thought we had hit on a winning formula."
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