WEST Belfast singer-songwriter Bap Kennedy has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, aged 54.
Heartfelt tributes have poured in for the former Energy Orchard frontman, who passed away on Tuesday evening.
A notice on his Facebook page read: “We are devastated to announce that Bap passed away this evening. Bap was extremely brave until the end.
“We would like to thank everybody for their kind messages of support over the past few months, these meant a lot to Bap and Brenda and helped Bap stay positive throughout his illness.
“We are also extremely grateful to all the staff at the Marie Curie hospice for their kindness and warmheartedness during his stay.”
Joby Fox, who was in Energy Orchard with Bap, paid tribute to his close personal friend.
“Bap was a talented man. I’ve known him since we were kids in Riverdale,” he said.
“We had dreams and we made them come true. We toured the world together.
“We had our ups and downs together but we stayed close our whole lives. Bap was a believer and was a very fun character.
“West Belfast should be very proud of him. He was a shining light for Belfast in general. His work will stand for a long time – he was the genuine article as a music artist.
“We took on the world together and for a moment we had it in our hands. I’ll miss him but I’ll see him again. He will be sadly missed and my thoughts are with his family,” he added.
