He died from what is described on his myspace as a "massive seizure", after a short battle with lung cancer. Graham was 68.

A superb stylist, Graham came to the fore in the 1960s, setting standards for acoustic finger-style playing that have seldom been matched. His best known composition 'Angi', originally released in 1962, became one of the most copied and played pieces by aspiring folk guitarists.

He is widely credited with introducing the DADGAD tuning to popular usage, giving folk guitarists a different kind of foundation from which to operate. His most productive years were between the beginning of the 1960s and the end of the 1970s, when the bulk of his albums were released.

In an Irish context, his influence was manifest in that the title of his 1964 album Folk, Blues and Beyond was picked up by blues and roots promoter Larry Roddy, for his long-running club of the same name.

In 2005 Graham was the subject of a documentary Whatever Happened To Davy Graham?

"Davy will be missed by those of us who loved him," the message on his myspace concludes. "The many fans who came to see his last concerts gave him much joy and satisfaction and was something he drew great strength from. Messages of condolence can be sent via: [email protected] or lescousins.co.uk