Ananova:

Russ Conway, the Queen Mother's favourite pianist, is gravely ill after being found unconscious at his home.

The star has suffered a recurrence of cancer and doctors have warned that he will not recover.

He was admitted to Eastbourne District Hospital in his home town on Sunday under his real name, Trevor Stanford.

Mr Conway celebrated his 75th birthday in September playing to a packed house at Eastbourne's Congress Theatre.

He was due to have been honoured at a tribute luncheon at London's Green Room Club recently but the event had to be cancelled after doctors told him the cancer he had successfully battled in the 1990s had returned.

Mr Conway was the wealthiest and most successful popular pianist in Britain, selling more than 20 million records.

He topped the bill at the London Palladium and appeared at the Royal Variety Performance.

Born in Bristol, he joined the Royal Navy in 1942 as a 17-year-old and won the Distinguished Service Medal for "exceptional gallantry".

Then he began his musical career, working as an accompanist to stars such as Dorothy Squires and Gracie Fields before becoming a successful solo artist.

During his heyday in the 1950s and 1960s he twice reached number one with his own compositions, Side Saddle and Roulette. His other hits included Party Pops, China Tea and Snowcoach.