Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson, one of two lead singers for the great UK 2 Tone ska band the Selecter, has died. The band reported the news of Hendrickson’s passing on Twitter last night. That announcement says that Hendrickson died after “a short illness.” On Facebook, Hendrickson’s family writes that he passed away at home in Coventry yesterday morning and that he was diagnosed with cancer last year. Hendrickson was 73.

The Selecter were one of the biggest and best bands to come out of the British ska revival in the late ’70s — the so-called “second wave” that also produced bands like the Specials, Madness, the Beat, and Bad Manners. Like the Specials, the Selecter came from the British city of Coventry, and the two bands briefly shared members. The Selecter’s first record, an instrumental also called “The Selecter,” came out in 1979 as the B-side of the Specials’ debut single “Gangsters.” That single was the first release on the fabled indie label 2-Tone Records, and it was a #6 hit in the UK.

After the release of “The Selecter,” the band’s linup cohered around singer Pauline Black. Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson, another product of the local scene, often played backup to Black on the Selecter’s records, though he put in a hell of a lead vocal on “Too Much Pressure.” His natty, freewheeling presence was crucial to the band’s energetic live shows. Later in 1979, this new lineup of the Selecter released the classic single “On My Radio” b/w “Too Much Pressure,” another top-10 UK hit.

Guitarist Neol Davies wrote the Selecters’ catchy, fired-up songs, which had punk-level energy and which anticipated the bright melodies of new wave. The band’s debut album Too Much Pressure came out in 1980, and they followed it up with 1981’s Celebrate The Bullet. The also took part in the 2-Tone live film Dance Craze, but they broke up in 1982, shortly after Pauline Black left the band.

Pauline Black put together a revived version of the Selecter in 1991, and Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson eventually joined. That version of the Selecter toured with No Doubt, a band that they’d hugely influenced. They released more albums, and they briefly competed with another version of the Selecter that was led by Neol Davies. Hendrickson was in and out of the band over the years, and hw continued to play live with them until last year, when his cancer diagnosis took him off the road. The Selecter played last weekend’s California punk festival No Values without Hendrickson last weekend. At the moment, the Selecter have an upcoming European tour, and they’re scheduled to headline the Virginia ska festival Supernova in September.

Below, read statements from Hendrickson’s family and Pauline Brown, and watch some electric videos of him performing with the Selecter.