'King of Twang' guitarist Duane Eddy dies at 86

During his illustrious career spanning seven decades, Eddy sold more than 100 million records, influencing a number of musicians

American guitarist Duane Eddy - hailed by many as one of the founding fathers of rock and roll - has died aged 86.

His death occurred on 30 April in Franklin, Tennessee, his wife Deed said. The cause was cancer.

The Grammy-winning artist had a run of instrumental hits in the 1950s and 60s. He reached the charts again in 1986 with a remake of his song Peter Gunn.

He was called the King of Twang for his distinctive style. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

In 2008, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum also made him its inductee.

"Duane inspired a generation of guitarists the world over with his unmistakeable signature 'Twang' sound," Eddy's representative was quoted as saying by Variety's website.

"He was the first rock and roll guitar god, a truly humble and incredible human being. He will be sorely missed."

Eddy was born in Corning, New York state, in 1938. He began playing the guitar at a young age.

Eddy was self-taught and his distinctive sound inspired artists from The Beatles to Blondie.

During his illustrious career spanning seven decades, he sold more than 100 million records.

Echoes of his distinctive slow twang come through loud and clear on The Beatles' Day Tripper, Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run and Blondie's Atomic.

In 2011, Eddy told the BBC: "When people come right out, like Bruce Springsteen or John Fogerty, and say: 'Duane was a big influence,' that's just one of the perks and rewards of what I did.

"That's worth more to me than money and the fame. That goes right to the heart."