John Warren Geils, the founder and lead guitarist of the J. Geils Band, has died aged 71.

The J. Geils Band formed in 1967 and had massive hits in the 1980s with the songs Centrefold and Freeze Frame.

In their heyday, the likes of Billy Joel, The Eagles and U2 all opened for J Geils Band.

The band has reunited several times since its initial break-up in 1985, with Geils last performing with the band in 2012. The band also toured with Geils after 2012 after he unsuccessfully sued the other members of the band over the use of the name for a tour without him.

Geils died of natural causes and his body was discovered by police in a routine wellbeing check.