Status Quo Guitarist Dies Age 68

Management has confirmed the death of Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt, age 68.

The hard rock guitarist passed away in hospital in Spain where he was being treated for complications from a shoulder injury he had acquired from an earlier fall.

Manager Simon Porter revealed that Parfitt had died from a "severe infection".

Parfitt had stopped touring with the legendary UK rock band after earlier medical issues — he also suffered a heart attack earlier in 2016 — and, according to family, was planning a solo career.

Although most recently best known in Australia for their involvement in a Coles advertising campaign, Status Quo have been around since 1967. Parfitt joined the band in its previous incarnation, as The Spectres (then re-named Traffic Jam), in 1964.

Known for their heavy rocking image, the band's debut album was actually the post-mod-ish set Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo which included one of the stand out singles of the period, Pictures Of Matchstick Men.

In the '70s the band had a string of catchy rock hits, including: Paper Plane, Down Down, Roll Over Lay Down, Rockin' All Over The World and Whatever You Want.

Parfitt also appeared on 1984 Live Aid charity record Do They Know It's Christmas. In 1985 the band opened the Live Aid concert.

Outside of Quo, Parfitt had worked with the Fender guitar company on an invention known as the "guitar facelift". He had also set up a real estate in Marbella, Spain, where he died.