Stereophonics' singer's shock as Stuart Cable, 40, dies

Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones has told of his shock at the death of his friend and ex-bandmate Stuart Cable.

He said the the drummer recently told him he had not expected to reach his 40th birthday, which he celebrated two weeks ago.

The pair, who grew up in the south Wales village of Cwmaman, last spoke on Saturday and had been due to have a drink together on the day Cable died.

Cable was found dead at home in nearby Llwydcoed on Monday morning.

Emergency services attended Cable's house in the Cynon Valley, at 0530 BST on Monday.

Stuart Cable at his 40th birthday party two weeks ago. Photo: JohnReesPhotography.com

South Wales Police said they were not speculating on the cause of death but there were no suspicious circumstances.

It is understood Cable had been drinking at a local pub, where his car was left overnight, and had some friends at his house on Sunday night.

It is also believed a number of bottles of alcohol were removed from the property by investigators.

A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out later this week.

Cable, who was sacked from the band in 2003 and became a TV and radio presenter, had spoken on the phone to Jones on Saturday, when the band played in front of a sell-out crowd of 30,000 at Cardiff City Stadium.

Jones, who was back in his hometown on Monday for his uncle's funeral, said the pair had made up their differences within a year of their split and had been friends again for the last five years.

Speaking about their phone conversation on Saturday, he said: "He wished me good luck for the gig in Cardiff and his girlfriend asked me to go down to his 40th birthday a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't make it as we had commitments in London. I texted him on his birthday and said happy 40th.

"He said 'I never thought I'd make it to 40', and I said 'Well, you'll live to 100'.

"And that's one of the last things we said to each other, which is quite strange really. But he was just a character, wasn't he?"

He said they had arranged to meet for a drink on Monday after Jones had been to his uncle's funeral.

Instead, he received a call from Cable's brother Paul at 8.30am to say his childhood friend had died.

He had to pass Cable's home on the way to the crematorium, which he said was "a bit surreal".

He added that both he and Richard Jones, the bassist who formed Stereophonics with Cable in 1992, were both "still in shock".

The trio rose rapidly and within five years were supporting bands such as the Rolling Stones and U2.

Cable, who had a young son, had said he was planning to leave the band before he was sacked.

His autobiography, Demons and Cocktails, released in 2009, shed light on tensions which eventually led to the drummer's departure.

Cable revealed the split was mainly sparked by Jones's desire to produce the band's third album.

Police outside Stuart Cable's house in Llwydcoed, near Cwmaman

There were also said to be tensions in the band about Cable's developing career as a presenter.

He later formed a new group called Killing for Company, who were due to play at the Download festival at Donington Park next Saturday.

He also hosted his own TV show, Cable TV, and radio show, Cable Rock, for BBC Wales.

In autumn 2007 Cable quit the BBC to launch a Cardiff-based branch of rock station XFM, which closed after six months on air.

He was also a presenter for the Birmingham-based commercial radio station Kerrang!

But he returned back at BBC Radio Wales with his Saturday rock show in April and hosted his last show on Saturday.

Tributes have been pouring in from musicians, celbrities and fans.

Cable's mother Mabel, 79, told Wales Online she had worried when he travelled all over the world.

"He is now settled down and then this has happens," she said. "It has not sunk in yet."

Fans can leave a tribute by emailing [e-mail].