OZZY OSBOURNE and QUEEN’s Roger Taylor have both contacted Classic Rock to express their sadness over the death of guitarist GARY MOORE this past weekend.

Says Ozzy: "I knew Gary Moore for what seemed like forever. We’d run into each other many times over the years and we were always able to pick up right where we left off. I had the honour of recording with Gary on his After The War album on the track 'Led Clones', which was great fun.To say that his death is a tragic loss doesn’t seem to give it the justice it deserves. We’ve lost a phenomenal musician and a great friend. Rest In Peace, Gary.”

Says Roger Taylor: "It was my wife who told me the news. It’s terrible: 58 is just too early. In Phil [Lynott]’s case it was tragic, and in Gary’s case there should have been a lot more years. I have great memories of Gary on tour in THIN LIZZY with Queen: always smiling, very cheerful and… too young to die. He’d recently joined Lizzy and he fitted in great: a blindingly fast player, and his thing was these staccato runs, with a bit of jazz in there. Totally different to Brian [May], who’s a very fluid player, but musicians usually ‘get’ other rated musicians, and Brian very much enjoyed his playing. Over the years, I’d see Gary out in the clubs: a great guy on the scene. He liked to drink, as I remember, but everybody did in those days. It’s very sad. But I think his music will live on. Virtuosity is something we really don’t have now: there are lots of great bands, but the emphasis just isn’t on that anymore. In those days, it was all about how great you were; there were so many virtuosos and he was definitely one of them. He was a star player.”

According to Mirror.co.uk, Moore died of a suspected heart attack, a postmortem revealed yesterday. The former THIN LIZZY star, 58, was on holiday with his girlfriend and died in his sleep.

Forensic experts have ordered further tissue tests on his body ahead of a report, an inquiry heard.

Relatives including Gary’s brother, Cliff, are in the Costa del Sol, Spain, to make preparations to fly his body back home.

Moore, of Belfast, died at the five-star Kempinski Resort Hotel, in Estepona, at the weekend. Paramedics were called at 4 AM on Sunday after his girlfriend raised the alarm.

The pair had earlier eaten a burger and a sandwich, washed down with champagne and brandy.

A police spokesman said yesterday: “His death is not in any way suspicious. An inquiry has been opened to find the exact cause.”