Wee Willie Harris, the iconic musician known for inspiring The Beatles, died aged 90 on Thursday, his wife Sheila Harris confirmed. A cause of death was not revealed.

Harris started off as the resident piano player at the iconic 2i’s Coffee Bar in Soho, London, in 1957, and went on to have a career spanning eight decades that saw him backing several prominent rock and roll performers, including Tommy Steele, Adam Faith and Screaming Lord Sutch.

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Who is Sheila Harris?

Harris and Sheila Harris got married in 1982. They were married for 41 years, till the singer’s death. His real name was Charlie William Harris.

“He was a lovely man. A lovely husband. But it was music all the way with him,” Sheila said to The Sun.

“He was just such a brilliant man. He inspired so many – including Paul McCartney. He was an absolute sensation. He will be so, so missed.”

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Sheila paid tribute to her late husband and mentioned that Harris sang until the end and remained a perfect gentleman to her in their later years.

In 1958, John Lenon and McCartney queued up for his autograph after a performance in Liverpool. He had just been put on the big stage by  TV producers who saw his performance at the 2i’s Coffee Bar and were impressed with it.

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Dusty Springfield, who once sang backing vocals for Harris in 1966, expressed condolences at his passing through representatives.

“Sorry to hear of the death of Wee Will Harris. He came to Dusty Day in 2013 and entertained us with his stories and songs,” the statement from Springfield said.