Traffic star dies, aged 60

Jim Capaldi, the drummer with the West Midlands psychedelic-rock group Traffic, died yesterday aged 60.

Jim Capaldi, the drummer with the West Midlands psychedelic-rock group Traffic, died yesterday aged 60.

Capaldi, who formed the group in 1967 with fellow Birmingham musician Steve Winwood, was suffering from stomach cancer. The band's most famous song was "Hole in My Shoe" which captured the psychedelic mood of the late Sixties. Capaldi also achieved independent success with "Love Hurts", a version of the Roy Orbison song, in 1975.

Around 25 million copies of songs written or co-written by the musician were sold in his lifetime. Among the most famous were his lyrics to the reggae anthem "This is Reggae Music".