POPULAR busker Mike Colman - who as a teenager was a founding member of what would later become world famous rock band Genesis - has died at the age of 58.

A classically trained violinist who wrote music for film, TV and computer games, Mike was a free-spirit who could play many instruments including piano and guitar and could also sing.

Speaking to the SNJ this week, his son Jan described him as an 'incredibly clever man who never liked to conform'.

Mike grew up in a musical family in Bournemouth.

His parents were both in the Royal Society of Musicians and Mike and his brother Tim learned the violin at a young age.

At nine, Mike became head chorister at Salisbury Cathedral and subsequently won a musical scholarship to Charterhouse, the highly acclaimed public school in Surrey.

It was here that he met Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel and Anthony Phillips and formed a band that would later become Genesis.

However, at 15 Mike’s rebellious side got the better of him and he was expelled for meeting girls and smoking cigarettes.

He moved to London and began busking on the underground but unfortunately he could not afford to travel to rehearsals with his former schoolmates and left the band.

In 1969, Mike got a job working at the Drury Lane Theatre, where he met his future wife Rosi.

The couple moved to Norfolk and had two children, Jan, 30, who now lives in Rodborough, and Delphi, 27, who lives in Bath.

In 1986, the family moved to Stroud and although Mike and Rosi separated they remained friends.

Mike became a well-known busker and was a familiar face in Stroud and Cheltenham.

He also began to write music for film, television and computer games.

Aside from his music, Mike was a keen writer and had two books published - Bournemouth in Old Photographs and Norwich in Old Photographs.

He also enjoyed crosswords, cooking, fishing, chess, bird-watching and going to Greece on holiday.

In 2003, Mike contracted pneumonia and never fully recovered, staying mostly indoors at his home in Belmont Road, Stroud in the later part of his life.

He died of lung disease on Tuesday, January 12.

His son Jan added: "My sister and I will remember him as a wonderful father who always had time for us."

A private cremation has already taken place and a celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, April 10. All are welcome.

Please check www.mikecolman.com closer to the time for further details.

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