Former Uriah Heep keyboardist, Ken Hensley, passed away on Wednesday, November 4. The sad news was delivered by his brother, Trevor, in a post on Facebook.

Said Trevor Hensley: "I am writing this with a heavy heart to let you know that my brother Ken Hensley passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening. His beautiful wife Monica was at his side and comforted Ken in his last few minutes with us. We are all devastated by this tragic and incredibly unexpected loss and ask that you please give us some space and time to come to terms with it.

"Ken will be cremated in a private ceremony in Spain so please don’t ask for information about a funeral. Ken has gone but he will never be forgotten and will always be in our hearts."

Uriah Heep guitarist Mick Box has paid tribute to his former bandmate Ken Hensley with the following message:

"I received devastating news this morning from Ken’s manager Steve Weltman that Ken Hensley has passed away.

"I had just finished watching his video of the unboxing of the 50th Anniversary Box Set last night, where he seemed absolutely fine and justifiably proud of his time in Uriah Heep, which has just added to the shock.

"We may not have always been the best of friends, but there were some wonderful times we shared too, which are the ones I will always remember.

"Ken wrote some amazing songs in his tenure with the band, and they will remain a musical legacy that will be in people’s hearts forever. His communication through lyrics and melody have stood the test of time, and with the power and chemistry of the band bringing those songs to life, we achieved success we could only have dreamed of.

"My sincere condolences go to his family and wife Monica and may he rest in peace."