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Rick Parfitt, the guitarist of British rock group Status Quo, died in hospital on Dec. 24 in Spain aged 68 after suffering from a severe infection. 

 
Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt has died in hospital in Spain aged 68, his manager has said.

He died from a severe infection after going to hospital on Thursday following complications to a shoulder injury.

Parfitt’s musical partnership with Francis Rossi, which spanned five decades, made Status Quo one of British rock’s most enduring acts.

Metallica has put down its guitars and picked up toy instruments for a rendition of "Enter Sandman" alongside Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.

Joe Cocker, whose intense, gritty voice won him wide acclaim that spanned both rock and blues, has died at age 70, his agent said Dec. 22.       

English rock and blues singer Joe Cocker died of lung cancer at the age of 70 on Monday in Crawford, Colorado.

His agent Barrie Marshall said Cocker was "without the doubt the greatest rock/soul voice ever to come out of Britain and remained the same man throughout his life."

Pop shock diva Miley Cyrus won Video of the Year for "Wrecking Ball" at Sunday's 2014 MTV Video Music Awards outside Los Angeles, which gave pride of place to the rising generation of pop stars.