Cockney Rebel tragedies - star dies penniless in council flat to two victims of Lockerbie

Recently the death of Steve Harley rocked the music world as a legend was lost. He was the frontman of Cockney Rebel - an English rock band who formed in the early 1970s in London.

However, several members of the iconic band lost their lives before him, with some dying in absolutely devastating circumstances. In 1972, the original Cockney Rebel band was formed as Harley hooked up with his former folk music partner, John Crocker, and then they advertised and auditioned drummer Stuart Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and guitarist Nick Jones. But out of the original members, three of them met their demise in very tragic circumstances. From battling grave illnesses to being involved in a horrific terrorist attack, we take a look at the tragedy that struck the band.

Frontman Steve Harley's heartbreaking cancer battle

Steve Harley, the frontman of British rock band Cockney Rebel, died at the age of 73 in March 2024. At the time, his family said Harley had "passed away peacefully at home", adding: "We know he will be desperately missed by people all over the world." It was reported that he had treatment for cancer before his death and was forced to cancel a number of shows due to his illness.

In December, before his death, Harley wrote on his official website that he was "fighting a nasty cancer" for which he was receiving treatment. He said the first half of 2023 had been "magical" as he got to tour in Europe with his band members, adding: "Out there, on the road, that's where I come alive".

But the second half had been "heartbreaking" as the band was forced to cancel live show dates after his diagnosis. "It's tiresome, and tiring. But the fight is on," he wrote. "And thankfully the cursed intruder is not affecting the voice. I sing and play most evenings."

Guitarist Nick Jones died 'penniless'

Guitarist Nick Jones reportedly died without a penny to his name. His sister Liz Jones admitted to The Mail on Sunday that her brother died aged 62 after becoming a "recluse", dying a "penniless failure in a council flat", despite finding fame with the iconic 70s rock band.

At the time, she said: "It might have been different [...] had the lead singer of [Cockney Rebel] been nicer and allowed Nick to dine off royalties from Cockney Rebel's huge 1975 hit Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), one of the most played records of all time. Alas, Nick and Steve had fallen out and my brother, bitter and unfulfilled, always called him a 'c**k' who had ruined his career."

Lockerbie tragedy

Another member of the band who were struck by tragedy was bassist Paul Jeffreys. He and his new wife, Rachel Jones, were devastatingly caught up in the worst terrorist airline attack of the 20th century. On December 21, 1988, a bomb aboard Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in the sky over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 people on the ground - including the musician and his spouse.

The couple were flying to the States for their honeymoon when disaster struck. He appeared on Cockney Rebel's first two albums in 1973 and 1974, before moving on to Be Bop Deluxe for a year and then joining a number of other bands.