Music was the life-long passion of Mr McGarry, 34, who spent his last hours with his family by his side at Warwick Hospital.

For the past few years, the former Kenilworth School pupil had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.

A talented musician, Mr McGarry, of St Mary's Road, sang and played the guitar and keyboard for seven-member band The Sci Fi Lullabies, who were fomerly known as The Stars, and before that, Wish.


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Fellow band member Dave Holland knew him for 20 years and the pair have been in bands together for 16 years.

He said: "He was a magical person who touched everyone that he met and made them feel special.

"We are planning to arrange a tribute concert in Leamington.

"I'm expecting a few hundred people to come - that would be no problem because he was so well liked and well respected.

"It will be a good evening to celebrate him and his songs.

"He liked local gigs with special lighting and different visuals - he loved the experience of live music."

Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Velvet Underground and Radiohead were among Mr McGarry's favourite bands.

A talented songwriter, he also wrote poetry and has acted at the Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth, having studied drama at Stratford College.

His father Peter said: "He was a great son. He just had so much to give and was a hugely popular person - we have received a tremendous number of expressions of great love towards him.

"We know he had lots of friends but we did not realise the extent and the range of people he has touched.

"He has had an overwhelming interest in music all his life - music was his life.

"He started singing with a band called Brave Men Run when he was 13. My wife and I went to their first gig in Annabelle's pub in Kenilworth, not sure what to expect from a bunch of 13-year-olds but we were amazed at how good they were.

"We are very proud of him as an artist and as a performer."

Tributes to Mr McGarry have been flooding the message board on The Sci Fi Lullabies' Myspace page.

One reads: "One of the finest voices I've ever worked with. Ross, you are deeply missed."

Another reads: "There is a silent void that no other voice can fill, a sincerity that will never be attained by any other. May your sweet melody reverberate for an eternity. Goodnight brother. Love you mate."

Mr McGarry was most recently working as an optical assistant for Vision Express in the Royal Priors shopping centre.

He leaves behind his mother Angela, father Peter, and sister Danielle. His funeral will take place on February 26 at Oakley Wood Crematorium at 2.15pm.