Jim Capaldi, who died on 28 January, 2005, was a British musician best known as the drummer with 1960s rock group Traffic.

The band scored hits such as ‘Paper Sun’ and ‘Hole in My Shoe’, notching up album sales of more than 25 million, as well as being inducted into the American Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame during 2004.

He also achieved a notable degree of solo success, collaborating with artists including Eric Clapton, Paul Weller and George Harrison.

His friend and long-time manager John Taylor described him as “one of the most influential songwriters, not only of his generation but in the history of popular music culture.”

Nicola James Capaldi was born on 2 August, 1944, in Worcestershire, England. The son of musical Italian parents, he grew up playing the drums and, at 14, began his career in local groups.

It was during a gig with his group ‘The Hellions’ at a Birmingham club that he met and jammed with Steve Winwood, by then a member of the Spencer Davis Group.

While ‘The Hellions’ disbanded, 1967 saw him form a new group, ‘Traffic’, along with friends Winwood, Dave Mason and Chris Wood. They were soon signed to Island Records and, after renting a quiet cottage in Berkshire to write and rehearse new material, released their first single ‘Paper Sun’ that very same year.

To their delight, ‘Paper Sun’ met with a rapturous reception, as did two more singles and the debut album ‘Mr Fantasy’.

Despite this, tensions were already apparent within the group and, by the following year, Mr Mason had left. Traffic continued to perform as a trio but eventually disbanded shortly after the release of their second album in 1969.

However, fans were appeased when, in 1970, they reformed without Mr Mason to release ‘John Barleycorn Must Die’. Several hit albums followed and even a US tour, before the band broke up once again in 1974.

Meanwhile, free at last to pursue his growing solo ambitions, he released a series of successful albums during the early 1970s, of which ‘Short Cut Draw Blood’ is considered by many to be his masterpiece.

After a brief Traffic reunion in 1993, he released his final album ‘Poor Boy Blue’ in 2004 and remained professionally active until stomach cancer finally claimed his life in London on 28 January, 2005, at the age of 60.

Outside of his music, Mr Capaldi was an active environmental activist and also assisted his wife in her work with the Brazilian street-children charity ‘Jubilee Action’. She would later escort former British PM Tony Blair and his wife Cherie during their official trip to Rio de Janeiro.

His success as a lyricist saw him collect the coveted ‘BMI/Ascap Award’ five times for the “most played compositions in America”.

In 1973, he played drums at Eric Clapton’s ‘Rainbow Concert’ and appeared on stage at 2002’s ‘Concert for George’.

‘Dear Mr Fantasy’, a celebration of Mr Capaldi’s life and music which attracted guests such as Cat Stevens, Paul Weller and Pete Townshend, took place in Camden Town during early 2007. All proceeds were donated to the ‘Jubilee Action’ appeal.