RIP, Joe
® Dylan1 (in the United Kingdom) 23 Dec 2002 at 12:25 GMT

Joe Strummer of The Clash has died at the age of 50.

The star - who was the band's guitarist, singer and songwriter alongside Mick Jones - died on Sunday.

The cause of death has yet to be confirmed but his website reports he had a heart attack.

Strummer, whose real name was John Mellor, is thought to have died at home. He was married with children and lived in Somerset.

Police said his death was not believed to be suspicious and a post-mortem examination will take place on Tuesday.

He had been touring with his most recent band The Mescaleros until last month, rounding off a tour in Liverpool.

U2 frontman Bono said: "The Clash was the greatest rock band. They wrote the rule book for U2.

"Though I was always too much of a fan to get to know him well, we were due to meet in January to finish our Mandela song with Dave Stewart."

The Clash were known for injecting left wing politics into punk and their album London Calling was named the best album of the Eighties by Rolling Stone magazine - despite being released in 1979.

Strummer's death came just three months before the Clash were due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He had hinted that the band would reform for the night and play together for the first time in 20 years to perform the band's fi rst single, White Riot, at the induction ceremony.

Re: RIP, Joe
Lost In the BR (in the United Kingdom) 23 Dec 2002 at 13:19 GMT

I think I just read this on BBC news? Where am I?

Re: RIP, Joe
® Satyricon (in the United Kingdom) 23 Dec 2002 at 14:03 GMT

LOL!

Re: RIP, Joe
® Andy Essex Work (in the United Kingdom) 23 Dec 2002 at 14:13 GMT

Yes it's a very sad day indeed. Joe Strummer was one of my biggest heroes when I was growing up - the first rock concert I ever went to in 1980 was The Clash, and I will never forget it. You cannot compare today's music to that of Strummer's - it's all manufactured pap these days.

Rock on Joe !!!!!

Re: RIP, Joe
Maltese mouse (in Malta) 23 Dec 2002 at 15:36 GMT

I heard this morning and was knocked for six!
The guy was one of my few idols - very little can compare to what he or The Clash did, not just musically, but politically too!
And as Andy says - absolutely NOTHING today compares!!

Re: RIP, Joe
® Blondie (in the United Kingdom) 27 Dec 2002 at 23:09 GMT

A very very sad piece of news. Such a great musician, and at such a young age. London Calling is one of the best albums ever made, and the rest were pretty damn good too.

Re: RIP, Joe
Iscandar (in the United Kingdom) 28 Dec 2002 at 21:03 GMT

Couldn't the good lord take Craig David with him?