FAMILY and friends will pay their last respects to the the Shadow's former bass guitarist Jet Harris next week.

Jet who lived in Bembridge, Isle of Wight, died last weekend at Winchester after losing his two-year battle against cancer. He was 71.

The funeral service will be at Basingstoke on Thursday. The family have asked Shadow fans to respect their wishes and allow family and close friends to say goodbye privately.

Fans will get a chance to pay their respects at a special memorial service yet to be arranged.

More than a year ago Jet received the MBE from the Queen for his services to music. He was credited with being the first entertainer in Britain to use an electric bass guitar.

In 1998 he was awarded a Fender Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in popularising the bass guitar in Britain.

He shot to fame when he joined Cliff Richard’s backing group The Drifters in 1959, came up with the name The Shadows and played on a spectacular string of hits including Apache.

After breaking away from the band he forged a partnership with the former Shadows drummer, the late Tony Meehan and topped the singles charts in the 1960s with Diamonds.