Alvin Stardust, one of the best-loved artists of the glam rock era, died Friday on the eve of a planned comeback.
The 72-year-old singer had recorded his first studio album in 30 years, which was due for release next month.
However, while preparing for the album's release, he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.
Despite his illness, Stardust continued to perform and was on stage last week in Evesham, Worcestershire.
The release of the album, Alvin, has been brought forward and will be available next week.
It was planned as "a complete departure" from his 70s sound, featuring producers who worked with Robbie Williams and Michael Buble.
The singer said recording the album had been "the best time I've had in years".
"It is an extraordinary record," his spokesman said.
"We have been playing it to people over the last few weeks and they thought it was Johnny Cash or Glen Campbell. Nobody guessed it was Alvin."
The new direction was the latest career reinvention for the man born Bernard Jewry in London in 1942.
He started playing guitar as a schoolboy and his future was determined when he met one of his teenage idols, Buddy Holly, in Doncaster and played backstage with the singer and his band the Crickets. In the 1960s, he performed as Shane Fenton, before changing his name again to Alvin Stardust.
His debut single, My Coo-Ca-Choo, went to number two in 1973. He topped the chart three months later with Jealous Mind. In all, he had nine top-20 hits.