Overview
- Thorpe's family posted a statement on his Facebook page confirming his death on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, and describing a recent period of failing health.
- He was 80 and a founding guitarist and vocalist for the Rubettes, who rose to fame in the 1970s with the doo‑wop‑tinged single "Sugar Baby Love."
- After leaving the Rubettes in the late 1970s Thorpe worked as a session musician, arranger and solo artist, lectured in music at Blackburn College and published a memoir, A Bride's Nightie.
- The Rubettes and former bandmate Alan Williams posted public tributes on the band's Facebook page and fans filled social media with memories of his musicianship and teaching.
- Thorpe is survived by his wife and son, and his death has prompted renewed attention to the Rubettes' place in 1970s British pop and to Thorpe's later role as a mentor in his Lancashire community.