Manchester's showbusiness stars today led tributes to the man behind comedy legend Frank Sidebottom, who has died after a battle with cancer.

Chris Sievey, 54, famous as his alter-ego Frank, was found collapsed at his home in Hale early yesterday.

It is understood that his girlfriend called an ambulance and he was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where his death was confirmed.

Chris was recovering from an operation to remove a tumour in his chest. He was also having chemotherapy.

He had posted a message on his Twitter account on Sunday morning saying: "I’m still feeling very poorly."

He had cancelled recent planned public appearances.

A post-mortem will be held to determine the cause of his death.

Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe, who played alongside Chris in the Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band in the late 1980s, said: "Chris was genuinely a genius who was packed with ideas and creativity. Everybody knows him as the bloke with the big head and whiny voice but he was genuinely gifted. He lived life as a kind of elaborate act. If you went on a gig with him the whole day would be like an adventure. He was a major Manchester comedian."

He added: "Chris and I went way back and I played in his band for a long time. Chris was genuinely a genius. He was so full of ideas and creativity.

"Chris was also very clever. He saw things coming. He did all his own artwork, which was also genius, and had a period as an animator at one point. He was just one of a kind.

"It is just really, really sad. He was basically a whirlwind of creative ideas who was always really invigorating to be around."

Chris created the Mrs Merton character on his Radio Timperley slot on Piccadilly Radio in the 1980s. Friend Caroline Aherne later transformed Mrs Merton into a household name.

In a joint statement with actor and fellow Royle Family star Craig Cash she said: "We were very sad to hear that Chris passed away. He was a truly unique and gifted comedian.

"Frank was a brilliant comic creation that only Chris could have invented. His face as recognisable a symbol of Mancunian warmth and good humour as any you could wish to find."

Comedian and actor John Thomson called him a ‘comedy legend and musical genius'’

He added: "I’m absolutely shocked. As well as being a comedy legend he was a musical genius, an absolutely brilliant model maker and a great friend to many. He will be missed terribly." Ex-New Order bassist Peter Hook called Chris ‘one of Manchester’s funniest blokes’.

He said: "Manchester has just lost a fantastic character. Chris Sievey was absolutely unique.

"His comedy was so surreal, and there aren’t many people who could pull that off."

DJ and writer Dave Haslam said: "A genuinely funny bloke who was like a friend-magnet; you’d be out with him and everyone wanted to shake his hand, quite rightly."

Manchester mosaic artist Mark Kennedy, who was a close friend, said: "The likes of him will never come again. With Chris, something very special happened. There’s no one like him, there never will be again. He was a total gentleman."

David Perkin, boss of Manchester comedy club the Frog and Bucket, said: "This is very sad news for us all here. Frank was part of the Manchester comedy scene’s heritage and really helped it develop into what it is today. He was a great character, very well liked and a superb comic.

Frank’s Agent Nigel Round said: "Everybody who knew Frank is going to be gutted. He was just a nice bloke. He was quite a private person.

"He never spoke about Chris Sievey, it was all about the character. He always said it was no problem, he was going through treatment but it was being sorted out."

The M.E.N. first revealed Chris’s fight with cancer in May. The tumour was close to his throat and was affecting his eating. But Chris shrugged off his illness and vowed to fight back to fitness, saying: "You have got to be positive. The show must go on." Chris then had two operations to remove the tumour.

He showcased his last song to the M.E.N – a World Cup anthem called Three Shirts On My Line – in an exclusive performance at the Salutation pub off Oxford Road. It is understood that the show was one of his last ...

Some fans have now started an online campaign to take Frank's World Cup song to the top of the charts in his memory. The song was due to be released on iTunes shortly before he died.

No funeral details have been announced yet.

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Frank Sidebottom is fighting cancer

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