Young, 53 and a father of three, collapsed at his home on July 15 and was pronounced dead on arrival at Wythenshawe Hospital, a spokesman for Virgin Records told the British news agency.

He began his music career on the German club circuit in the 1960’s before joining Sad Café, which debuted in 1977. The band’s second release, Misplaced Ideals, brought international exposure to Young as the record spawned two U.S. hits in 1979: “Run Home Girl” and “Everyday Hurts.”

But Young’s career took off when he joined up with Mike Rutherford and Paul Carrack to form Mike + The Mechanics in 1985. The band rose to prominence on the strength of hits such as “Silent Running (Dangerous Ground)” and “All I Need Is A Miracle” in 1986, and peaked with “Living Years,” which went to No. 2 on the charts in 1989.

He was looking forward to touring with Mike + The Mechanics in Europe in late July and recently returned from Switzerland, where he’d performed with other rock legends including Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.

Rutherford said, “We are all shocked and devastated by Paul’s death. He had a fantastic voice, one of the best rock voices of his generation, and aside from his musical talent he had such an infectious enthusiasm for the business.

“Paul loved performing, we all thought he would be singing in 50 years time. This is a terrible loss,” Rutherford told PA News.