Guys ‘n’ Dolls singer Dominic Grant has died at the age of 71, his family have said, as friends and fans have paid tribute to the ‘shining star’.
Dominic was the lead singer in the successful seventies group Guys ‘N’ Dolls.
His wife and bandmate Julie Forsyth said her ‘heart is shattered’ by her grief at his passing.
He died suddenly on Wednesday after suffering an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
His Julie Forsyth said in a statement: ‘It is with such great sadness that I have to tell you I have lost my darling Dominic, suddenly on Wednesday November 18.
Bruce Forsyth with his daughter Julie at her marriage to Guys ‘N’ Dolls star Dominic Grant
Dominic Grant was the lead singer in seventies group Guys ‘N’ Dolls alongside wife Julie
Guys ‘n’ Dolls singer Dominic Grant has died at the age of 71, his family have said. Pictured: Bandmates Julie Forsyth, Dominic Grant, Paul Griggs and Martine Richardson (left to right)
‘He was an amazing husband, father, brother and brand new grandad. My heart is shattered.
‘He was kind and strong and always the life and soul of the party.
‘His distinctive, beautiful voice will live on forever – I couldn’t have loved him more and don’t quite know what our family will do without him… he was our shining star.’
Along with his wife – the daughter of entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth who died in 2017 – Grant was part of the pop group Guys ‘n’ Dolls, who found success in the 1970s.
Their singles There’s A Whole Lot Of Loving and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me reached the top 10 in the UK.
Their hit, You’re My World, reached number one in the Netherlands in the late 1970s.
The couple met through the band and married one another.
After the group split, Grant and Forsyth performed together as a successful country act
Guys n’ Dolls, pictured performing in 1974, had a string of hits in the 70s with their singles There’s A Whole Lot Of Loving and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me reaching the UK top 10
After the group split, Grant and Forsyth performed together and had a successful country and western career in mainland Europe.
The couple have sold more than three million albums in Holland.
Forsyth also wrote one of the songs that was picked as the UK’s Eurovision Song Contest entry.
Away from his music, Dominic was also a passionate sculptor.
According to his website, he has had his work exhibited in Amsterdam, Marbella, Mayfair and Monte Carlo.
He also made the bronze bust of his father-in-law Sir Bruce that was placed at the London Palladium in 2005 to mark the veteran entertainer’s six decades in showbiz.
Dominic described it in a previous interview as ‘the hardest thing I’ve ever done.’
He said: ‘When I showed everyone, all the women in the family were saying, “His nose isn’t that big!” and I had to say, “It is, you know.”’
More recently, Grant completed a statue of King George IV as a gift to the Kent seaside town of Ramsgate, marking the 200th anniversary of the monarch making it the UK’s only royal harbour. It is hoped the statue will be installed in September 2021.
He also sculpted a likeness of actress Barbara Streisand for Sony and his sculptures have been exhibited in Amsterdam, Marbella, Mayfair, Monte Carlo and Portafino over the years.
Dominic and Julie had several children that followed their musical career path.
Their daughter Sophia is a singer, while son Luke was lead vocalist in the heavy metal band Voodoo Six.
UK pop group Guys ‘n’ Dolls formed in November 1974 after production group Ammo held auditions for three men and young women to perform as a group.
It was here where Dominic and Julie first met, and the group continued as a quartet when Van Day and Bazar left in mid-1977.
In 1980, Martine Howard and Guys ‘n’ Dolls’ record producer Gerard Stellaard married and Dominic and Julie had their first child together in the same year.
The group split after 11 years in 1985, with the couple performing as the duo Grant & Forsyth.
As the group was popular in Europe, their reunion in 2008 was aired on a major TV show in the Netherlands.