Rock star Joe Cocker has died after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 70.

He passed away at his residence in Colorado Monday, label Sony said in a statement, reports telegraph.co.uk. He is survived by his wife Pam.

Best known for his cover of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from my Friends”, the singer-songwriter rose to fame in the 60s. He won a Grammy in 1983 for “Up where we Belong”, a duet with Jennifer Warnes.

Paul McCartney, former band member of the Beatles, expressed his grief.

“I knew him through the years as a good mate and I was so sad to hear that he had been ill and really sad to hear that he has passed away. He was a great guy, a lovely guy who brought so much to the world. We’ll all miss him.”

The Sheffield-born singer had a career lasting more than 40 years, with hits including You Are So Beautiful and Up Where We Belong.

His agent Barrie Marshall said Cocker, who died after battling lung cancer, was “simply unique”.

Sir Paul McCartney said he was a lovely guy who “brought so much to the world”.

Cocker’s friend Rick Wakeman, keyboard player for the rock band Yes, called his rendition of With a Little Help From My Friends “sensational” and said: “He had a voice that was just unique.”

Wakeman told BBC Radio 2: “The great thing is with someone like Joe is what they leave behind, and that will be with us for years and years.”