Music producer Andy Paley who worked with Elton John, Madonna and Brian Wilson has died

Music producer Andy Paley - famed for work with the likes of Elton John, Madonna, Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson and more - has passed away at the age of 72. The veteran musician, died following a brief battle with cancer, it has been confirmed.

He was also one half of the The Paley Brothers - an American power pop duo formed in 1976 by Andy and his brother Jonathan Paley. They disbanded in 1979 after releasing one studio album and EP but continued to collaborate on other projects.

As well as working alongside legends of the pop and rock scene, Paley was also a renowned composer for film and TV, with his work featuring in shows including SpongeBob SquarePants, Ren & Stimpy, and Digimon.

Beach Boys star Wilson paid tribute to the producer, calling him the "most frighteningly talented person that I’ve met and the greatest musical genius I’ve come across in many years. Maybe my whole life".

Hailing from Albany, New York, Paley had in recent years been touring with Tom Kenny - the voice of SpongeBob - as Tom Kenny & the Hi-Seas.

Kenny said: "My friendship with Andy and our collaboration - writing songs and my fronting the band that he formed - is one of the greatest true joys I’ve ever experienced. He possessed not only encyclopaedic knowledge of all pop music - especially rock ‘n’ roll and girl group - but was also astoundingly astute when it came to art and literature."

Paley's music career started early, with his The Porcupine Song - written when he was just seven - recorded by Tom Glazer. In the early 1970s, he formed Catfish Black in Boston, later named The Sidewinders, and featuring Jerry Harrison, who would go on to be a member of Talking Heads.

After The Sidewinders broke up, Paley played as a session musician, featuring on recordings by the likes of Patti Smith and more. Eventually, he became a staff producer at Sire Records, overseeing Brian Wilson’s 1988 solo album, and co-writing several songs.

His film credits included soundtracks for Dick Tracy, Wild Orchid, and A Rage in Harlem. Paley leaves wife Heather Crist Paley, their twin sons, Jackson and Charlie, as well as his sisters, Sarah, Brewster and Debby, and brother Jonathan.