On Monday actor and guitarist Wilko Johnson, who brought the United Kingdom’s pub rock scene with Dr. Feelgood, died at the age of 75. Back in 2013 Johnson got diagnosed with  terminal pancreatic cancer before making an doubtful recovery, according to the 2015  documentry film The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson.

Dr. Feelgood was formed in the early 1970s, where the band performed R&B music which features Johnson’s iconic playful riffs and mind blowing guitar stabs. Also Johnson wrote some songs for the band’s first two albums. 1974’s Down by the Jetty and 1975’s Malpractice  influenced the bands Sex Pistols, the Jam, Gang of Four and generations of British punk and post-punk musicians. In the United States, Johnson influenced the band’s Blondie, the Ramones, and Richard Hell’s Voidoids.

A little later on on the decade, Johnson left the group and formed The Wilko Johnson Band, a project which Johnson commanded til his death. The band’s music didn’t go unrecognized but Johnson’s legacy happened when he made an appearance on the 2009 Julian Temple’s documentary on Dr. Feelgood, Oil City Confidential. Also Johnson appeared as the executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in the first two seasons of Game of Thrones.

When learning about the cancer diagnoses in 2013, Johnson did not receive chemotherapy because he wanted to perform on the farewell tour. At first the cancer wasn’t as aggressive however, and in 2014 Johnson stated he was cancer-free. In 2018 The Wilko Johnson Band released their final album Blow Your Mind and continued to perform live until the months leading up to Johnson’s death. Members of Led Zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand and Sleaford Mods were some those who paid tribute to Johnson.