Ian McLagan dead: Faces and Small Faces keyboardist dies suddenly after suffering a 'massive stroke' in Texas

He was scheduled to open a tour with Nick Lowe in Minneapolis before he tragically fell ill and passed away at a hospital in Austin, Texas

Billy Bragg led tributes to the late Ian McLagan last night, who died suddenly at the age of 69.

The Faces and Small Faces keyboardist suffered a “massive stroke” and passed away in a hospital in Austin, Texas Ultimate Classic Rock reported.

He had been scheduled to open a tour with Nick Lowe in Minneapolis that same evening.

Born in Middlesex in 1945, he joined Small Faces in 1965.

He continued with the band as they evolved to become Faces in 1969, with the legendary Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joining the fold.

The group parted ways in 1975, and McLagan began his career as the ultimate session musician, collaborating with Bragg, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry and Frank Black, to name a few.

McLagan’s wife Kim, who was the ex-wife of The Who’s Keith Moon, was tragically killed in a car accident in 2006.

In 2010, The Faces reunited to headline Vintage at Goodwood Festival, with Mick Hucknall taking Rod Stewart’s place on lead vocals. They went on to tour in 2011.

Stewart and Wood had stated their intentions to reunite the band again.

“Ronnie's office is talking to my people, and we're ear-marking 2015,” Stewart said.

McLagan, however, appeared at odds with the idea in an interview with Uncut.

“Why would we f**k around with the Faces when we've got bigger fish to fry?” he said.

Stewart, he added, would “have to wait until 2016 because 2015 is the Small Faces' year”.