The Alarm's Mike Peters dies aged 66

WELSH ROCK icon and Christian Mike Peters, who won an MBE for his decades-long charitable work in support of cancer sufferers, died from the disease in April. Mike enjoyed major mainstream hits with the punk band he fronted, The Alarm, like 1983's "Sixty Eight Guns" and had Cross Rhythms radio hits like "The Message" as a solo artist.

An obituary in The Guardian newspaper read, "Mike Peters, who has died aged 66 from blood cancer, was a tireless and inspiring frontman and songwriter for the group, always ready to expound the virtues of faith, belief and perseverance. The group's concert performances were ecstatic communal celebrations between band and audience, especially in songs such as the anthemic 'Blaze Of Glory' or the Clash-like air-puncher 'Sixty Eight Guns'. At MTV's Spirit of '86 concert, The Alarm played to 25,000 fans at UCLA in California in a performance beamed live around the world by satellite."