UB40 founding member Astro dies after short illness

British vocalist and founding member of UB40 Terence Wilson, better known by his stage name Astro, has died.

Astro, who performed in the reggae pop band for more than 30 years, died after a short illness, his current band confirmed.

"We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken," said a statement on Ali Campbell and Astro's Twitter account.

"The world will never be the same without him."

Astro left UB40 in 2013 and went on to perform with breakaway group UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, which was due to tour next year.

The original band broke through in the early 1980s with their unique take on British reggae and found success with hits like Red Red Wine and Can't Help Falling In Love.

The Birmingham-based group - named after the then government's unemployment benefit form - sold more than 70 million records and had three UK number one hits.

In total, UB40 have recorded 39 UK top 40 singles and 28 top 40 albums, with Astro singing lead vocals on the hit Rat In Mi Kitchen which reached number 12 in 1987.

The group also enjoyed success around the world, including in the US, where Red Red Wine went to number one, as did another cover, Can't Help Falling in Love with You, which spent seven weeks at number one in 1993.

The original line-up played together for three decades before Ali Campbell left in 2008.

After the news broke, BBC Radio West Midlands played the UB40 track Sing Our Own Song in tribute to Astro - with presenter Natalie Graham calling his death "very, very sad".

"Astro really was a wonderful and an incredible human being and obviously the legacy of the music that we still get to enjoy from the likes of UB40 is something very, very special," she said.