Peter Jones, the drummer of Australian rock band Crowded House, has died aged 45.

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The Liverpool-born musician, who joined the band after original drummer Paul Hester quit in 1994, lost his battle for brain cancer on Friday (May 18).

A statement, published on the Crowded House website paid tribute to the drummer and described him as a “warm-hearted, funny and talented man”.

It read: “We are in mourning today for the death of Peter Jones. We remember his as a warm-hearted, funny and talented man, who was a valuable member of Crowded House. He played with style and spirit. We salute him and send out love and best thoughts to his family and friends.”

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Leading the tributes from his friends was bandmate Neil Finn, who marked his respect by posting an eulogy on his Twitter. He tweeted:

Jones is the group’s second drummer to pass away, after founding drummer Paul Hester committed suicide in 2005 following depression.

Crowded House were founded in 1985 by singer-songwriter Neil Finn. The group went on to achieve global success with hits such as ‘Don’t Dream Its Over’ and, most notably, ‘Weather With You’.