Scott Walker's golden baritone falls silent

Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers were a hit in the 1960s. Photo / Getty Images

Scott Walker, an influential singer, songwriter and producer whose hits with the Walker Brothers in the 1960s included The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore, has died. He was 76. Record company 4AD did not give a cause of death.

The Walker Brothers' string of hits also included Make It Easy on Yourself. Scott Walker later went on to produce many songs, movie scores and some solo albums.

Ohio-born Walker, who began his career as a session bass player, changed his name from Noel Scott Engel when he joined the Walker Brothers, also moving to London.

The Walker Brothers were hugely popular in Britain then, when music was dominated by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

At the height of his success he had his own BBC television series, but by the end of the decade he was a recluse who steadfastly spurned all efforts to revitalise a career which had once seemed so rich in promise.

Walker's fan club membership had at one stage exceeded that of the Beatles.

By 1969 he had established himself as a songwriter, broken new ground with three highly original and acclaimed solo albums, sung a handful of film themes and developed a growing reputation as a record producer.

All this followed his phenomenal success as lead singer of the Walker Brothers who, in between unleashing a storm of teen hysteria in the mid-1960s, issued three classic singles and a trilogy of memorable albums.

Above all, Walker will be remembered for a golden baritone which could convey sadness, heartbreak, mystery, yearning and joy in equal measure. But the hit albums dried up and stage nerves eventually put paid to his live performances.

In 1984 he ended his self-imposed exile from the recording scene with the release of the critically acclaimed Climate of Hunter. Its commercial failure prompted Walker to draw back from the music industry.

In 2012 Walker released his 14th solo studio album, the critically acclaimed Bish Bosch.

Thom Yorke of Radiohead tweeted his sadness at Walker's death. "He was a huge influence on Radiohead and myself."

Walker is survived by partner Beverly, daughter Lee and granddaughter Emmi-Lee.

- AP, Telegraph Group Ltd