Rock singer-songwriter Denny Laine, best known as co-founder of the groups The Moody Blues and Wings, died Tuesday. He was 79. Laine died Tuesday morning in Naples, Florida, at NCH Baker Hospital, his publicist Alan Miller confirmed to Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network. The singer-guitarist had been in and out of the hospital for a collapsed lung, bacterial infections and other issues.

Laine’s wife Elizabeth Hines shared news of her husband’s death in a post on Laine’s official Facebook page, saying her “world will never be the same.”

“My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning,” Hines wrote. “I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favorite Christmas songs for him. He’s been singing Christmas songs the past few weeks and I continued to play Christmas songs while he’s been in ICU on a ventilator this past week.”

Laine had struggled with various health issues since getting COVID-19 last year.

“He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation center and eventually home,” Hines wrote. “Unfortunately, his lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs.

“He fought everyday. He was so strong and brave, never complained. All he wanted was to be home with me and his pet kitty, Charley, playing his gypsy guitar.”

Laine was the original lead singer and guitarist for classic-rock greats The Moody Blues. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. He also worked side by side with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney throughout the ‘70s in their hugely popular band Wings.

His death comes almost exactly 50 years after the release of McCartney’s acclaimed “Band On the Run” album, on which Laine played guitar and provided backing vocals.

In other news – Billy Miller’s cause of death revealed

Soap star Billy Miller died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The ‘General Hospital’ and ‘The Young and the Restless’ actor’s cause of death has been revealed after he was found dead on Sept. 15 at age 43 at his home in Austin, Texas – days before he was due to turn 44 – following a long battle with bipolar disorder and manic depression.

An autopsy reported obtained by Radar Online has now shown the actor was found in his bathtub “with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.” Read More