Zoot Frontman Darryl Cotton Dies After Cancer Battle

Darryl Cotton, frontman of prominent rock act Zoot as well as actor and TV host, has died after a battle with liver cancer at the age of 62.

After being diagnosed with the illness in May, Cotton was admitted to hospital in early June. The AAP have confirmed that he died today in the early hours.

Former manager and long-term friend Jeff Joseph said, "He was philosophical from the outset when told of his condition, but was determined to fight it until the very end and maintained a very positive attitude."

Cotton had had visitors in hospital such as Ian 'Molly' Meldrum and Jim Keays, who played with Cotton and Russell Morris in Cotton, Keays and Morris. His son and daughter had also flown in from Canada.

Talking to ABC radio this morning Keays said, "Out of the three of us I would have thought he'd be the last to go... He was just normal and healthy and one of us, and all of a sudden he's on death's door, it's just something you don't think is going to happen."

Cotton was best known during the '60s and '70s for the his time in Zoot, who were originally from Adelaide and found fame as a mod act in Melbourne before crossing over to rock - partly due to external industry pressures when they relocated.

Rick Springfield, Rick Brewer and Beeb Birtles were all part of Zoot at various stages and the band were also notorious for their cover of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby.

This TV roles included The Young Doctors and The Early Bird Show.

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