“Forever grateful” – David Essex pays tribute to bassist Herbie Flowers

Flowers' death was confirmed by close family members on Facebook.

One of Flowers' best-known bass lines can be found on Essex's 1973 glam single “Rock On”, which was double-tracked and used a slapback effect to give the song its polyrhythmic backbeat.

In a post on X, Essex said: “The wonderful Herbie Flowers has passed away. Herbie was a huge part of my music. I am eternally grateful dear Herbie. Rock On x.”

Charlatans singer Tim Burgess said Flowers “made the greats sound even greater,” writing on social media: “Farewell Herbie Flowers, he made the greats sound even greater.”

Bowie's estate also paid tribute to the star's former collaborator, saying: “We are very sad to learn of the passing of Herbie Flowers in recent days.

“His years of work with Bowie and colleagues are too extensive to list here.

“Apart from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man. He will be missed very much.”

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Suede bassist Mat Osman also joined in the tributes, adding: “RIP Herbie Flowers. So many great basslines – imagine if you had played on Space Oddity, Walk on the Wild Side and Rock On.”

Flowers, who was born in Isleworth in 1938, began his career as a session musician in the 1960s, playing for producers such as Shel Talmy, Mickie Most and Tony Visconti before becoming a founding member of Blue Mink in 1969 and featuring on their UK number three single Melting Pot.

During the 1970s he played with some of the biggest and most influential artists of the decade, including Bowie, Sir Elton John and Reed.

In 1972, he played on Reed's breakthrough album Transformer, providing the single “Walk On The Wild Side” with its recognizable twin bass line.

Flowers later revealed in a 2005 interview with the BBC that he came up with the idea for the bass line because, as a session musician, he was paid twice for playing two instruments.

Shortly before Marc Bolan's death, he was part of the last line-up of T. Rex and appeared on the band's last album, “Dandy In The Underworld” from 1977, as well as on Bolan's Marc TV show.

He played with Bowie on the singer's second album, David Bowie (popularly known as Space Oddity), in 1969 and on Diamond Dogs in 1974, after Bowie's band Spiders From Mars broke up earlier that year.

He played with Sir Elton on “Tumbleweed Connection” in the 1970s and on “Madman Across The Water” in 1971.

Flowers also played on French singer Serge Gainsbourg's influential 1971 concept album Histoire de Melody Nelson.

In the late 1970s, Flowers formed the instrumental prog rock band Sky, with whom he recorded, performed and released seven albums until 1995.

Other records featuring Flowers include “The Bride Stripped Bare” by Bryan Ferry, “Give My Regards To Broad Street” by Paul McCartney and “Musical Version Of War Of The Worlds” by Jeff Wayne.