Former lead guitarist of legendary New Zealand rock band Dragon, Robert Taylor, has died at the age of 74.

Dragon’s drummer, Kerry Jacobson, announced the death of his former bandmate on Tuesday in a tragic social media post to share the “unexpected and devastating news”.

WATCH ABOVE: Tributes flow for Robert Taylor from Dragon bandmates

“My mentor, my partner in crime for some of the best times, my musical comrade through the hardest of times and my dear friend of decades, the irreplaceable Robert Taylor,” Jacobson wrote.

Born in Waipukarau, on New Zealand ’s North Island, Taylor joined Dragon in 1974 as the band honed in on a gritty prog-rock style before moving to Sydney in 1975.

The band shot to success in 1977 with singles April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough?, and Still In Lo

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