Bass guitarist Herbie Flowers dies aged 86

Highly praised bass guitarist from Britain, Herbie Flowers, who collaborated with famous musicians such as David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, has passed away at the age of 86.

Flowers was a talented bass player in the popular bands Blue Mink and T. Rex. He is believed to have added his musical skills to over 500 successful albums by the late 1970s.

He was recognized for producing the well-known bass melody in Lou Reed's song Walk on the Wild Side from his album Transformer released in 1972.

His passing was announced by loved ones on Facebook this past weekend. In heartfelt messages, relatives and close friends described Flowers as a kind-hearted individual and praised the impact his music had on others.

Brian Keith Flowers, who was born with the name Brian Keith Flowers, discovered his love for music while serving in the Royal Air Force in the 1950s. During his nine years of service, he played the tuba as a bandsman.

In 1969, Flowers helped establish the pop band Blue Mink. The group achieved popularity with their first hit song Melting Pot in 1969, and later with The Banner Man in 1971.

During the 1960s, Flowers established himself as a highly sought-after session bass guitarist, collaborating with well-known record producers like Shel Talmy, Steve Rowland, and Tony Visconti.

He was the bass guitarist for David Bowie's albums released in 1969 and 1974.

One of his major accomplishments was creating the iconic bassline for Lou Reed's popular song Walk on the Wild Side in 1972.

Flowers, a resident of Ditchling, East Sussex, shared in a 2005 BBC interview that he had conceived the bassline idea because he could earn extra money as a session musician by playing two instruments.

In 1977, Flowers joined the last group of T. Rex just before Marc Bolan passed away. He played on the band's last record, 1977's Dandy In The Underworld, and also appeared on Bolan's Marc TV program.

In the late 1970s, Flowers started a progressive rock band called Sky. He played instruments in the band and recorded music with them until 1995. During their time together, Sky released seven albums.

Many people shared their condolences and remembrances following the announcement of Flowers' passing.

The lead singer of The Charlatans, Tim Burgess, paid tribute to Flowers, expressing that he made legendary musicians sound even more exceptional.

The estate of David Bowie also honored the star's previous partner in music, stating: "The list of his collaborations with Bowie and his team throughout the years is too extensive to detail in this space."

Besides his amazing talent as a musician for many years, he had a kind heart and a great sense of humor. He will be greatly missed.

Mat Osman, who plays bass for the band Suede, also added his condolences, mentioning how many amazing basslines Herbie Flowers contributed to iconic songs like Space Oddity, Walk on the Wild Side, and Rock On.