A music executive responsible for the likes of Sinead O'Connor and The Boomtown Rats has died.

Nigel Grainge, who was a native of north London, was responsible for signing key acts in the 70s and 80s such as Thin Lizzy, Steve Miller Band, Sinead O'Connor and Bob Geldof's The Boomtown Rats.

Mr Grainge died of complications after surgery in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 70.

Billboard Magazine named him as “one of the most respected and knowledgeable A&R men in the business” due to his successes in publishing, A&R and entrepreneurship.

Mr Grainge grew up in north London where his father, Cecil, sparked his interest in music by giving him a 78 RPM record every weekend from his record shop.

He started in the music industry in 1970, working in the accounting department at Phonogram, before being appointed label manager for US repertoire and then head of A&R, where he began to sign famous acts.

The lifetime Arsenal fan founded his own record label, Ensign, in 1976 where he signed some of his strongest acts, who achieved Grammy Awards and more than a dozen Top 40 hits between them.

Since this success Mr Grainge ran a publishing company, Dizzy Heights, before becoming a consultant to artists, record labels and projects, including the HBO series Vinyl.

His most recent venture was a start-up company named TunesMap which helped customers visualise music from around the world.

He is survived by two daughters, Heidi and Roxie, his sister, Stephanie, his two brothers, Sir Lucian and Justin and his grandson, Jasper.