Singer, songwriter and guitarist Jackie Lomax, whose 50-year career included sessions with Eric Clapton and members of the Beatles, has passed away at the age of 69.

Lomax rose to prominence as a member of the Merseybeat group the Undertakers in the '60s, eventually acquiring the services of Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Because of his association with Epstein, Lomax ended up recording for the Beatles' Apple label. His 1969 solo debut, 'Is This What You Want?,' was produced by George Harrison and featured contributions by Clapton, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. But not even the combined star wattage was enough to push it past No. 145 on the Billboard album chart.

The commercial failure of 'Is This What You Want?' more or less set the tone for Lomax's career, which included a string of solid R&B-influenced LPs, such as 1971's 'Home Is in My Head,' which failed to catch on with a wide audience. Undeterred, he remained musically active throughout the '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond, doing time in a number of short-lived bands and resurfacing to record the occasional solo record.

In 2001, he ended an extended studio hiatus, releasing 'The Ballad of Liverpool Slim' LP. Following its release, Lomax continued to tour, including an appearance at the 2002 Bowlful of Blues festival, where he summed up his outlook to interviewer Richard Nelson by saying, "I don't want to sound like anybody else ... If you don't write your own material, you're kind of wasting your time. I think originality is the focus of the game, you know?"

According to Contact Music, no cause of death is immediately known. Reportedly, Lomax was visiting England to attend the wedding of one of his children at the time of his death.

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