Songs by the reluctant performer have been covered by The War on Drugs, Wilco, Pavement and Marc Almond

The folk singer Bill Fay, known for songs such as The Healing Day and Thank You Lord, has died aged 81, his record label has announced with “great sadness”.

Fay began work on his latest album just a month before his death, and his label Dead Oceans said they hoped to “find a way to finish and release it”.