Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi has spoken of his shock following the death of his bandmate, Rick Parfitt, describing him as “the archetypal rock star”.

The veteran musician suffered from a severe infection while in a Spanish hospital, which he had visited due to complications with a pre-existing shoulder injury, and died on Christmas Eve.

It followed years of concern about his ill health, which had seen him stricken by multiple heart attacks and a cancer scare.

Rossi’s statement on his bandmate’s death started: “I was not ready for this.”

Rossi said Parfitt was “one of the originals” who “never lost his joy, his mischievous edge and his penchant for living life at high speed, high volume, high risk”.

He added: “Rick Parfitt had been a part of my story for 50 years. Without doubt the longest relationship of my life: this was also the most satisfying, frustrating, creative and fluid.

“From those early days, we worked together to create the Quo sound, look and hits. We spent years on the road, on the stage and in the studio, rarely far from each other, honing what we did.

“We were a team, a double act, a partnership and yet also two very different people, handling the pressures of growing older, constant touring, dealing with success and keeping the creative flame burning in different ways.”

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