Singer Chris Whitley dies aged 45

Whitley's 1991 debut album was a US critical and commercial hit

Chris Whitley, a singer who mixed rock and roll with blues and alternative rock, has died of lung cancer aged 45.

Whitley earned critical and commercial success with his 1991 album Living with the Law, recording 11 follow-ups and touring with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.

Diagnosed with lung cancer five weeks ago, he died in Houston on Sunday.

"I hope you all will mourn my brother's death, but more important, celebrate his life, as Chris was all about life and living," his brother Daniel said.

Earlier this year Whitley told the Houston Chronicle that his eclectic mix of musical genres reflected the searching themes of his music.

"I'm always looking for something kind of melancholy," Whitley said. "I guess I was trying to mix these things without really knowing it.

"I write in a way that's more subconscious, just trying to articulate some mystery that's not obvious."