DEACON Blue band member James Prime has passed away aged 64, his band has announced.
The keyboard player helped form the band in 1985 alongside Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, Dougie Vipond, Ewen Vernal and Graeme Kelling.
Details of his specific condition have not been released.
His fellow band members published a statement on social media, sharing with fans that Prime had passed away on Thursday morning, after a "short struggle with cancer".
The band said: "Dear friends, We announce with great sadness that our brother James Prime passed away this morning after a short struggle with cancer.
"Thank you so much for the messages of support that you shared over the last two weeks, they meant so much to Jim, his family & us. With love, DBx".
The band previously has said Prime had given the band the go-ahead to continue with their scheduled tour later this year, which ends with two nights at the OVO Hydro in October.
Scottish actor Colin McCredie replied to the statment, writing: "Oh so terribly sad. So many wonderful records and gigs. Blessed to have seen him only a couple of months ago at Oran Mor."
Radio presenter Ewen Cameron wrote: "Such sad news. Sending love to you all and his family".
Singer Jerry Burns said: "Dearest Jim you made me and Kirsty cry laughing all through Youth Theatre as our musical director and later on tour with you in my other life once upon a Sony.
"I’m so sad to say goodbye but so glad now to have seen you perform recently and give you a hug at the SEC".
Prime was born in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire and started his career as a member of Altered Images, a Scottish post-punk band which found fame in the 1980s.
He formed the band with his former schoolmates in Glasgow.
They were all members of the Siouxsie and the Banshees official fan club, and when they found out the Banshees were going to play in Scotland, they sent a demo tape to Billy Chainsaw, who managed the official Siouxsie fan club, with a note asking "can we support them on tour?".
The Banshees did give the new the band a support slot on their British tour of 1980, where the name Altered Images was coined.
The band had a smash US top 10 hit with "Don't Talk to Me about Love" and finished a successful tour before splitting up.
He went on to form Deacon Blue in 1985, which split in 1994, and reunited in 1999.
The band's eleventh studio album, The Great Western Road, was released in March this year.
Prime also launched a School of Music and Recording Technology (SMART) which is hosted by the University of the West of Scotland where he lectured.
In its eleventh year, the Commercial Music course hosts 250 students.
