Kenny Lynch, whose pop hits including “Up on the Roof” made him one of the best-known black British entertainers of the 1960s, has died aged 81.

“Sadly our dad passed away in the early hours this morning. He will be remembered & missed by many,” his daughters said.

Lynch was the first person to release a cover of a Beatles song with “Misery” in 1963 and appeared on the cover of Paul McCartney’s “Band On the Run” a decade later.

Lynch, who grew up in east London as one of 13 children, was awarded the OBE in 1970 and appeared alongside Sid James and Charles Hawtrey in the “Carry On Loving” comedy film in the same year.

Singer Boy George remembered him as an “absolutely huge part of my 70s.”

Lynch also found success as a songwriter, co-writing the Small Faces’ song “Sha La La La Lee” as well as music for the Drifters and Dusty Springfield.

Lynch, who had suffered from prostate cancer, is survived by his daughters Bobby and Amy.

The Sun UK wrote him the obituary below:

Who was Kenny Lynch?

Kenny Lynch was a singer and actor from Stepney, London.

After leaving school at 15, he did National Service in the Royal Army Service Corps before launching his music career by performing in various variety shows in the 1960s.

In 1963, he became a star when his songs Up On The Roof and You Can Never Stop Me Loving You both reached the top ten.

That same year, he also covered The Beatles’ hit Misery – the first time an artist ever covered one of the band’s tracks.

During the Sixties, Kenny appeared on the same bill as The Beatles and was even featured on their album cover for Paul McCartney’s band Wings.

Kenny also wrote songs for other artists such as The Small Face’s hit Sha-La-La-La-Lee.

In 1962 he took part in the A Song For Europe Contest with There’s Never Been A Girl but he wasn’t chosen to represent the UK at Eurovision.

In 2018, he was still performing and actually went on tour in the UK with Anita Harris and Jimmy Tarbuck.

What was Kenny Lynch’s cause of death?

Kenny Lynch passed away aged 81 in December 2019.

His family said in a statement: “Saddened to share this news with you all. Sadly our dad passed away in the early hours this morning.

“He will be remembered & missed by many.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to the NHS & the people at Sue Ryder for all their support.

“Bye Dad, we will love you always!”

How many children did Kenny Lynch have?

Kenny is survived by his two children, Amy and Bobby.

After announcing the news of his passing, his daughters shared a number of photographs of their dad as part of the touching tribute.

In Spring 2018, Amy appeared as one of the 100 judges on the BBC singing show All Together Now.

Kenny Lynch wasn’t married.

What TV shows was Kenny Lynch in?

Kenny Lynch has been in various TV shows such as the 1969 sitcom Curry And Chips.

Other TV appearances include roles in Z-Cars, The Sweeney, Till Death Us Do Part and Treasure Hunt.

He also featured on Celebrity Squares and Room At The Bottom.

In April 2018 he will appear on the ITV variety show Last Laugh In Vegas alongside other stars.