Monty Python musician Neil Innes dies

British musician and comedian Neil Innes has died at the age of 75.

The comic songwriter, who was best known for his collaborations with the iconic comedy troupe, which comprised of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, unexpectedly passed away on Sunday, his agent Nigel Morton told WENN.

"It is with deep sorrow and great sadness that we have to announce the death of Neil James Innes on 29th December 2019," Morton said in a statement.

"We have lost a beautiful kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all. He died of natural causes quickly without warning and, I think, without pain."

Often known as the 'seventh Python', Innes contributed music to Monty Python's albums including Monty Python's Previous Record and The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief, as well as writing and performing songs and sketches for the group's final 1974 TV series.

The funnyman also toured the U.K. and Canada with them, and was only one of two non-Pythons, alongside The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams, to be credited as a writer for the TV show.

Innes also appeared in the films Monty Python's Life Of Brian and Gilliam's Jabberwocky and partnered with Idle on the sketch show Rutland Weekend Television, about a fictional low-budget regional TV network.

The series spawned the band The Rutles, a parody of The Beatles, who later got their own feature film. As well as writing tunes for the group, Innes performed as Ron Nasty, a satirical version of John Lennon.

The musician was also in The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, whose song I'm the Urban Spaceman won him an Ivor Novello award.

Concluding his statement, Morton said Innes' wife Yvonne, their three sons Miles, Luke and Barney and three grandchildren Max, Issy, and Zac, were thankful "for his life, for his music and for the joy he gave us all."