Cockney Rebel singer Steve Harley, who had a hit with 'Make Me Smile,' dies at 73

British musician Steve Harley, whose glam-rock band Cockney Rebel had an enduring hit with the song Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), has died. He was 73.

Harley’s family said on Sunday he had “passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side.” Harley said late last year he was being treated for “a nasty cancer".

Born in London in 1951, Harley worked as a trainee accountant and as journalist on local newspapers, and began his performing career at London folk clubs.

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He formed Cockney Rebel, which released a debut album, The Human Menagerie, in 1973 before foundering over creative differences. With a new lineup and rebranded as Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, the band released the 1975 album The Best Years of Our Lives, which contained Harley’s biggest hit.

With its barbed lyrics – aimed at Harley’s former bandmates -- and infectiously catchy chorus, the Alan Parsons-produced Make Me Smile topped the UK singles chart. It went on to be covered scores of times and was used on countless soundtracks, including in the 1997 film The Full Monty and in ads for Carlsberg beer and department store Marks and Spencer.

Harley is survived by his wife Dorothy, children Kerr and Greta and four grandchildren. The family said in a statement that they knew he would be “desperately missed by people all over the world.”