Tommy Eyre | | The Guardian

Tommy Eyre

When, in 1968, Joe Cocker wanted to adapt the Beatles song, With A Little Help From My Friends, to suit his hoarse soul vocal style it was his 18-year-old keyboard player, Tommy Eyre, who provided the arrangement, introducing the Bach-influenced intro and the crashing chords that, with Cocker's delivery, made it into a British and US hit.

Eyre, who has died of cancer aged 51, became one of the most respected session musicians on either side of the Atlantic. He arranged and recorded Gerry Rafferty's 1978 City To City album - which featured Baker Street - arranged Wham!'s number ones, including Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984) and, in 1985, accompanied them on their visit to China. He wrote television scores - and in 1980 played keyboards on the soundtrack of The Long Good Friday.

Eyre was born in Sheffield, son of a steelworker-cum-noted pub pianist. As a child he sat on his father's knee to play piano for singalongs in pubs and working-men's clubs. After leaving school at 15 he toured US bases in Europe with a local rock band, before being spotted by Cocker and joining the singer's Grease Band.

He was sacked in early 1969 for being "too jazzy", but soon after joined Aynsley Dunbar's band, Retaliation. In 1971, he moved on to the early jazz-fusion group, the Mark Almond band. He never looked back.

By the early 1990s he was touring and recording with Gary Moore, and in the studios he collaborated with George Harrison, Mick Jagger and blues artists Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. In 1997, he played on BB King's Deuces Wild album, where he was briefly reunited with Cocker.

In 1988 Eyre met the violinist Scarlet Rivera at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The couple left London to live in New York and then Los Angeles, where they were married in 1991. Their instrumental album, Behind The Crimson Veil, a mix of world and contemporary classical music, was released in 1999.

A year earlier Scarlet had had cervical cancer. Last autumn, just as she received a tentative all-clear, Tommy was also diagnosed with cancer. He underwent surgery and recovered enough to play a short set at a benefit held by his friends in Hollywood in February, but was readmitted to hospital.

A consummate musician and unflappable performer, he was once on stage with the comedian Lenny Henry when the PA broke down. Eyre remained at the piano, and led the audience in a sing-song. He was a man of great warmth, humour and relentless energy. He is survived by Scarlet.

Tommy Eyre, musician, born June 5 1949; died May 22 2001

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