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English singer-songwriter and founding member of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers, has died at his home in Montolieu, France aged 68. Soft Machine are regarded as one of the pioneers of British psychedelia.

Ayers was born in Herne Bay, Kent on August 16, 1944, and met future Soft Machine members Robert Wyatt and Mike Ratledge while attending the Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury. His first band, The Wilde Flowers, morphed into The Soft Machine (later just Soft Machine) in 1966, and the band released their first single, “Love Makes Sweet Music,” the following year. Soft Machine soon became an important part of the so-called “Canterbury scene,” along with bands such as Caravan and Gong.

Soft Machine opened for the Jimi Hendrix Experience on his North American tour in 1968 and recorded their self-titled debut album at the end of the first leg of that tour in the April.

Ayers quit the band at the end of the second leg of the North American tour in September 1968 and would go on to release 16 solo albums, including “Joy of a Toy,” “Shooting at the Moon,” “Sweet Deceiver,” “The Confessions of Dr Dream and Other Stories,” and “Falling Up”. Among the artists he collaborated with either live or in the studio in these years were Elton John, Mike Oldfield, John Cale, Brian Eno, and Nico.

Here’s Ayers introducing a clip of a 1972 appearance he made on The Old Grey Whistle Test with his group The Whole World. The Old Grey Whistle Test was created by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, who was Kevin’s father.

“May I?” – Kevin Ayers and The Whole World”

Ayers’ final album and first set of new recordings in 15 years was “The Undfairground” in 2007 which saw him work with artists such as Norman Blake and Francis Macdonald of Teenage Fanclub, and Jeff Baron and San Fadyl of The Ladybug Transistor.

Kevin Ayers is survived by his two daughters, Rachel Ayers and Galen Ayers, and his sister Kate.