Wilko Johnson, Dr. Feelgood guitarist and Game of Thrones actor, dies at 75

Wilko Johnson, the guitarist with British blues-rock band Dr. Feelgood, who had a career renaissance after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, has died aged 75.

A statement on Johnson's Twitter page said the musician died at his home in south-east England on Monday evening. No further details were given.

Born John Wilkinson in 1947 in Canvey Island, Essex, Johnson found fame with pub-rock, rhythm 'n' blues band Dr. Feelgood.

The group was a herald of English punk rock, with major bands said to have been influenced by Dr. Feelgood including The Clash, The Jam and The Sex Pistols.

Known for his stage presence and his guitar playing, Johnson was a left-hander who played right-handed, picking and strumming to create a simultaneous staccato lead and rhythm.

Johnson helped give Dr. Feelgood a dangerous edge with his choppy, relentless guitar style and thousand-yard glare.

It was a look terrifying enough to earn him a role later in life on one of the entertainment industry's biggest fantasy dramas.

Johnson's acting led him to play the mute royal executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones.

In January 2013, Johnson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was told it was terminal.

He declined chemotherapy and instead decided to embark on a final tour. He also recorded a final album, Going Back Home, with Roger Daltrey of The Who.

"I suddenly found myself in a position where nothing matters anymore," he told the Associated Press in 2013.

"I'm a miserable so-and-so normally … I’d be worrying about the taxman or all the things that we worry about that get in the way of the real things. And suddenly it doesn't matter. All of that doesn't matter,""he said.

Fellow musicians have taken to social media to pay tribute Johnson following his death, including Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

"I saw Wilko perform at Koko in Camden in May 2013 and the atmosphere was electric," Page wrote on Instagram.

"This show was originally billed as his farewell tour … but, thankfully, he continued performing and thrilling crowds until recently.

Johnson is survived by his sons Simon and Matthew and grandson Dylan.