US blues legend Johnny Winter has died aged 70 in a hotel room near Zurich, Swiss police and a statement on his official Facebook page said Thursday. "His wife, family and bandmates are all saddened by the loss of their loved one and one of the world's finest guitarists," the statement read, adding that Winter died on Wednesday. Swiss police told AFP that Winter was found dead early Wednesday in a hotel room in Bulach, a small town north of Zurich, which lies close to the city's airport.
A Zurich police spokesman said the local prosecutor's office has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. "Based on the initial elements of the investigation, it appears that this death was the result of medical reasons, and that nothing points to the involvement of another person," the spokesman told AFP. Winter, who was also a singer, was one of the most striking figures on the blues scene. An albino who was heavily tattooed, his fragile frame and long blond hair contrasted starkly with his powerful, gravelly voice.