Tributes have been flooding in for Teddington singer Art Wood, who died from prostate cancer at the age of 69, writes Chris Wickham.

Art, brother of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, was a prominent member of the local music scene in the 1960s and was still performing this summer. He lost his sixth- month battle against the disease on November 3.

Friends and relatives said the singer, who became a graphic artist after giving up a full-time music career, was warm, kind and a true friend.

Art was born on July 7, 1937, the oldest son of Arthur and Lizzie Wood, and grew up in West Drayton before attending Ealing School of Art in the 1950s.

He became one of a line of wanabee musicians to attend the school. These included Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, Pete Townshend from The Who and Art's brothers Ted and Ronnie.

Ted became a jazz musician before joining forces with Art to form a graphic design company, while Ronnie formed The Faces with Rod Stewart and has been guitarist with The Rolling Stones since 1975.

After doing National Service in Devizes, Wiltshire, Art returned to London and started to sing with Blues Incorporated, an ensemble led by Alexis Corner.

In the 1960s, Art had formed his own band, the Art Wood Combo, which then changed its name to The Artwoods.

Guitarist Derek Griffiths was part of The Artwoods.

The group released nine singles, one EP and an LP and had one hit with I Take What I Want', which entered the Melody Maker charts in 1966.

The band had a crack at the big time and spent time touring Europe but split in the mid to late 1960s.

While Jon Lord, who played keyboards, went on to form Deep Purple, Art continued to play professionally, he was part of a band he described as ill-fated', St Valentine's Day Massacre and also formed Quiet Melon in 1969.

The band comprised Art, Ronnie, Rod Stewart, Kenny Jones, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Kim Gardner and recorded a couple of songs. But Rod, Ronnie, Kenny, Ian and Ronnie Lane left to form The Faces and their career's rocketed. Art, with his brother Ted, went to work as graphic artists.

Art had a studio in Southall and in 1984 met Angie, his second wife. They moved to Twickenham in 1987 and married in 1990, before moving to Atbara Road, Teddington in 1991.

Angie said Art didn't mind that he ended up as an artist rather than a musician "I think the music and the art were interlinked, he had a couple of friends at art college who were musicians and he was in a very musical family," she said.

"He was a full-time musician for a few years but decided to go into other jobs, I don't think he minded. He loved doing the art. He was very good at it and did a couple of album covers."

"Music was a big part of his life, he was always arranging things," continued Angie. "People would ask him to do gigs. Hampton Community College this year asked him to do one there. It had one last year, and he performed at Radnor Gardens three or four times.

"He would spend ages ringing people up and seeing if they were free. He had so many different musical friends that if one was busy he could always get another one. They all seemed to enjoy working with him."

One place he played in recent years was The Eel Pie Club, which takes place every other Wednesday at The Cabbage Patch pub in London Road, Twickenham.

Gina Way, a founder member of the club, said: "He was a regular musician at the club and a very special friend.

"We would have the Art Wood All Stars on every six months and he would also perform with the Eel Pie All Stars. Any time we were celebrating we could rely on him to come on down. He loved people and people loved him.

"We also made a documentary with him, Rock and Roll London. We spent three days going around the 60s rock and roll haunts."

"We did that last October and we have the DVD, it's a lovely memory of him, I'm so glad we have it."

Singer Pete French was part of the Art Wood All Stars and the Eel Pie All Stars.

He said: "We got together through the Eel Pie Club and went down there, met up and jammed. We were there as a social band. There was Mick Avery from The Kinks, Ray Majors from Mott The Hoople and Mick Green from The Pirates. It was never meant to be serious. We had a good time doing it."

Terry Rawlings, who wrote a biography of Ronnie Wood and runs Filthy McNasty's,which is currently based at the site of The Red Lion, on the corner of Heath Road and Lion Road in Twickenham, was a friend of Art's.

"I knew him very well, he was guardian to my daughters," he said. "I first met him in the 1980s when I was working for Record Collector magazine, I did an article on The Artwoods and we stayed in touch.

"I moved over to Twickenham from Bermondsey and I know loads of people round here. Art was one of them, he was always around. He sang at the old pub but his health was deteriorating by then."

Art's son Simon and his family, Alison, Charley and Jordan, said: "He was a wonderful dad and a fantastic granddad.

"He is already and will be sorely missed.

"We loved him with all our hearts and he will be with us in our thoughts and memories forever. He had two grandchildren who miss him very much and will always have their own fond memories of him."