Overview
- The band confirmed his death Saturday through former frontman and manager Dave Bartram.
- He died peacefully on February 18 after a long illness, according to multiple reports.
- A co‑founder in Leicester in 1973, Oakes played guitar and was a principal songwriter until 2009.
- He stepped back from gigs in late 2008 and left the band around May 2009 due to health issues.
- His work powered 10 UK Top 10 singles, led by the 1976 No. 1 Under the Moon of Love, which spent 209 weeks on the singles chart, and he was the father of former pro footballers Scott and Stefan Oakes.