Chas Hodges (left), one half of iconic British duo Chas and Dave, has sadly passed away aged 74.
The news was announced on the band’s Twitter feed over the weekend, with the following statement: ‘It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of our very own Chas Hodges.
‘Despite receiving successful treatment for oesophageal cancer recently, Chas suffered organ failure and passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning.’
Chas and Dave rose to fame in the seventies and early eighties, off the back of lasting hits including Rabbit, Snooker Loopy and Gertcha, which blended cockney rock ‘n’ roll with knees-up musical hall.
Before teaming up with Dave Peacock to form the duo, PRS for Music member Hodges was a session musician for innovative London producer and songwriter Joe Meek.
Early in his career, he also backed musicians including Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and Bill Haley.
Chas and Dave worked together for more than 30 years, before splitting in 2009 when Peacock retired after the death of his wife, Sue. They reunited a year later.
In 2017, Hodges revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and returned to performing last year.
In April, Chas and Dave released A Little Bit of Us, their first album featuring new music in more than 30 years. It included a track that addressed Hodges’ cancer diagnosis.
They played to a sold-out London show in July at British Summer Time Festival, supporting headliner Eric Clapton, but were forced to cancel shows in September due to Hodges’ illness.
The news was announced on the band’s Twitter feed over the weekend, with the following statement: ‘It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of our very own Chas Hodges.
‘Despite receiving successful treatment for oesophageal cancer recently, Chas suffered organ failure and passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning.’
Chas and Dave rose to fame in the seventies and early eighties, off the back of lasting hits including Rabbit, Snooker Loopy and Gertcha, which blended cockney rock ‘n’ roll with knees-up musical hall.
Before teaming up with Dave Peacock to form the duo, PRS for Music member Hodges was a session musician for innovative London producer and songwriter Joe Meek.
Early in his career, he also backed musicians including Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and Bill Haley.
Chas and Dave worked together for more than 30 years, before splitting in 2009 when Peacock retired after the death of his wife, Sue. They reunited a year later.
In 2017, Hodges revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and returned to performing last year.
In April, Chas and Dave released A Little Bit of Us, their first album featuring new music in more than 30 years. It included a track that addressed Hodges’ cancer diagnosis.
They played to a sold-out London show in July at British Summer Time Festival, supporting headliner Eric Clapton, but were forced to cancel shows in September due to Hodges’ illness.
