Cerys 'heartbroken' at friend's death

Cerys Matthews is distraught at her friend's death

Pop star Cerys Matthews is said to be heartbroken at the tragic death of a close friend in a road crash.

Guitarist Barry Cawley, who was 37, had worked with her band for more than 10 years and helped set Catatonia on the road to fame.

Barry - a guitar technician in the band's road crew - was killed when he was cycling through the north Wales countryside.

Catatonia guitarist Mark Roberts said: "Cerys is really distraught. Everyone has treated her like a queen - but not Barry. He treated her like a real person.

Barry Cawley helped Catatonia achieve fame

"He would tell her something like: 'Get your own drink.' She appreciated that - he kept her feet on the ground."

He worked with the band from their days playing tiny clubs until they hit the charts with hits such as Road Rage and Mulder and Scully.

Mr Cawley, of Llanrwst, north Wales, had toured the world with Cerys, 30, and the rest of Catatonia.

He was killed while cycling near the beauty spot of Betwys-y-Coed, north Wales.

He was in collision with a car. The driver was also killed.

Mr Cawley helped found the Welsh-language band Y Cyrff (The Bodies) which later turned into Catatonia when Cerys joined.

But he was happy being in the background not on stage - travelling with them as far as Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Funeral on Monday

"He went to 16 countries with us last year. He was very talented but just as a ruthlessly ambitious as the rest of us," said Mark Roberts.

His girlfriend, nurse Meryl Harrison, said: "Barry knew Tom Jones and was close to Cerys - but he would never show off about any of it.

"He would never brag about what he's done or who he'd met. It's awful. We were planning to have children and we were soulmates," she said.

Mr Cawley will be buried on Monday in his trademark Levi jeans and denim jacket.