World Party frontman and former The Waterboys member Karl Wallinger dies aged 66

‘She’s The One’ was covered by Robbie Williams in 1999

Karl Wallinger of World Party performing in Tennessee in 2006 (Jeff Gentner/Getty Images)

Karl Wallinger, a singer and songwriter best known for his work in his band World Party, has died. He was 66.

The Welsh musician was also known for his time in the folk-rock group The Waterboys, and for writing “She’s The One”, which World Party released in 1997 before it was covered by Robbie Williams in 1999 and became a global hit.

According to reports in People, Wallinger died on Sunday (10 March). No cause of death was given.

Wallinger was born in Prestatyn, Wales on 19 October 1957.

He started his career in 1977 as a keyboard player with Pax, before forming the short-lived band Quasimodo with two future members of the Alarm, Dave Sharp and Nigel Twist.

In 1983, he joined Mike Scott’s folk-rock group the Waterboys, touring with the band and playing on their second and third albums, 1984’s A Pagan Place and 1985’s This Is the Sea.

He left the band in 1985 to form his own group, World Party, which released its debut album Private Revolution in 1986. It featured the hit single “Ship of Fools”, an environmental protest song that reached the Billboard Top 40.

He also worked on Sinead O’Connor’s debut album The Lion and the Cobra (1987).

Karl Wallinger performing with World Party at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee in 2006 (Getty Images)

World Party released four further albums: Goodbye Jumbo (1990), Bang! (1993), Egyptology (1997) and Dumbing Up (2000). They also released best-of compilation Best in Show in 2007.

Ballad “She’s The One” was included on the band’s fourth album, Egyptology, and was covered two years later by pop star Robbie Williams for his own second album I’ve Been Expecting You.

The song was a major hit, but Wallinger was upset that he hadn’t been notified about the cover and that Williams sometimes claimed to have written the song before performing it live. A couple of years later, Wallinger experienced a near-fatal brain aneurysm.

“The song had a much better time than me, popping off to the Brits while I was at home eating crackers dipped in water,” Wallinger told The Telegraph in 2012. “But it was lucky it was a hit. It saved my arse financially for a few years while I was holding on to the handrail thinking, ‘What happened?’”

Wallinger is survived by his wife Suzie Zamit, son Louis Wallinger, daughter Nancy Zamit and two grandchildren.

On X/Twitter, Waterboys frontman Scott paid tribute to Wallinger with the words: “Travel on well my old friend. You are one of the finest musicians I’ve ever known.”