Wilko Johnson, the guitarist of the popular UK rock group Dr Feelgood, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas, aged 65.

According to Johnson's official Facebook page, he has decided against undertaking chemotherapy, but is still "in good spirits" despite his diagnosis and rejecting of treatment. Not one to let things get him down, Johnson is still planning on finishing a new CD and following it up with a short tour of France in the near future. A series of farewell gigs across the UK are said to be in the pipeline also. Manager Robert Hoy said: "He is not yet suffering any physical effects and can expect to enjoy at least another few months of reasonable health and activity."

Whilst Wilko was hardly the most well remembered musician from the 1970s, his work has often been cited as some of the most influential guitar music of that era, with his own choppy style said to have greatly influenced the punk movement. On top of Dr Feelgood, the band which he also wrote for on occasion, Johnson went on to join Ian Dury and the Blockheads after Feelgood's split in 1977, before forming his own group: The Wilko Johnson Band. More recently, Johnson made the leap in front of the camera, with his recurring role in the fantasy series Game of Thrones as a mute executioner, bringing him to the attention to a large audience once again.