THE daughter and friends of popular Swindon singer Josie Kelly have paid tribute to her following her death.

Josie started singing in the town at the Folk Club in a band called Agincourt when she was about 20 and continued over the following decades.

Her daughter Ana said: “When we were children, mum regularly duo-ed with her very talented younger brother Billy, who sang, played guitar, banjo and mandolin. They sang mostly Irish songs.

“We remember many times sitting with a fizzy drink and crisps watching mum perform in various smoky locations.”

Josie, who turned 70 in January, was diagnosed with treatable breast cancer at the end of last year.

But she was recently found to have extensive cancer with only a few weeks left to live. She died on May 1 at Prospect Hospice.

“Her prognosis of under a year, sadly transpired into being a matter of weeks, during which she was finally cared for with love, respect and total dignity at Prospect Hospice, to whom the family are sincerely grateful,” said Ana.

Jennifer Pounds said on Josie’s Facebook page: “I will never forget her singing Fields of Gold, with no music, to a packed pub in Brean Sands.

"The one and only time I have ever experienced a pub full of people go silent, not a word spoken while she was singing.”

Ana added: “Her singing became less, and she was out less often as she stayed at home more, kept her house pristine and spent time with the family, especially her six grandchildren who would often stay over.

“She did still have friends in her local pubs including The Greyhound and The Mail Coach where she could be tempted to sing a song or two. Even when poorly this January, she managed to get to her surprise 70th party at The Greyhound.”

Her funeral will be held on May 16 at 3pm at Kingsdown, near to where she used to live.

The family have asked people if they could donate to the Prospect Hospice in her memory.