Updated April 12, 2017 12:52:24

You might not know the name, but you know the song. John Geils, the guitarist and founder of the J Geils Band, which had the 1983 hit single Centrefold, has died at his home in Massachusetts at the age of 71.

Television networks in the United States are reporting the musician died of natural causes.

He was born John Warren Geils Jr in New York City on February 20, 1946 and grew up listening to jazz artists including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

He played jazz trumpet and drums, before switching to blues guitar.

His first album with the J Geils Band was released in 1970 and throughout that decade the group recorded songs including Lookin' For A Love, Cry One More Time, Must Of Got Lost and Give It To Me.

The band's sound evolved to a more new wave rock sound as the 1980s progressed and they reached their greatest success with the singles Freeze Frame and Centrefold, which stayed at number one on the Billboard charts for four weeks and six weeks respectively in 1983.

Musical acts including The Eagles, U2, Billy Joel and ZZ Top all opened for the band while on tour.

The band broke up in 1985.

Topics: music, arts-and-entertainment, united-states

First posted April 12, 2017 11:39:24