17 Jul 2012

Death of Deep Purple founder

7:49 am on 17 July 2012

One of the founding members and keyboard player of the 1970s rock band Deep Purple, Jon Lord, has died in London.

He co-wrote the band's most famous song, Smoke on the Water.

He was also responsible for an orchestral work, Concerto for Group and Orchestra, which was first performed in 1969 with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lord, 71, had pancreatic cancer.

Deep Purple split in 1976 and reformed in 1984.