Big band leader James Last, one of the most popular hit-makers in British chart history, has died at the age of 86. In a statement, his manager said he died at his home in Florida on Tuesday, “peacefully and in the presence of his family”.

The German-born composer retired very recently from touring, appearing at the Royal Albert Hall for one last farewell show only this April. It was announced in February that Last had contracted a “life-threatening illness”, the nature of which was not made public, and was forced to halt his busy schedule.

In a statement at the time, he had said “The [final] concert itself won't be centred around my farewell. The only important thing will be that my fans, my friends and I all have a good time and can enjoy a fantastic concert.”

James LastJames Last passed away at his home in Florida on Tuesday (June 9th)

Last sold more than 100 million albums during his astonishingly long-lived career. Though critics were frequently sniffy about his brand of “happy music”, which often consisted of big band cover versions of popular hits of the day and pieces of classical music, he enjoyed huge popularity in the UK.

More: Composer James Last retires form touring after contracting ‘life-threatening’ illness

During his lengthy recording career, which spanned seven decades from 1959 to 2011, he released more than 200 albums. While he very rarely scored hit singles, in his most prolific period from 1967 to 1986 he notched up 52 charting albums in the UK, making him second only to Elvis Presley in that respect.

Possibly his best-known song was ‘Happy Heart’, which became a huge hit when covered by the likes of Petula Clark and Andy Williams. The latter version was memorably used in the soundtrack to Shallow Grave in 1994. Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.1 utilised a version of his song ‘Einsamer Hirte’ (or ‘The Lonely Shepherd’) on its soundtrack.

Last’s distinctive style which he communicated to his orchestra has also meant that his back catalogue has become a treasure trove for music boffins and crate-diggers looking for samples.