Australian singer-songwriter Anita Lane, best known for her contributions to The Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, has died aged 61. The news was confirmed today (April 28) by her publicist, although no cause of death was given.

Lane met Cave at art school in Melbourne in 1977, and the pair began dating. She moved to London with The Birthday Party in 1980, co-writing songs including “A Dead Song” and “Kiss Me Black”.

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Despite splitting with Cave in 1983, Lane briefly joined The Bad Seeds and wrote lyrics for the songs “From Her To Eternity” and “Stranger Than Kindness”. She sung on 1996’s Murder Ballads as well on albums by fellow Bad Seeds Barry Adamson and Mick Harvey.

She launched her solo career with 1998’s Dirty Sings EP, and released two further albums: 1993’s Dirty Pearl and 2001’s Sex O’Clock.

“Goodbye lovely Anita, my most magical friend,” wrote Kid Congo Powers on Twitter. “Will be so missed. Love to all who loved her.”

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