Elvis Presley's first guitarist Scotty Moore dies

The guitarist who helped shape Elvis Presley's revolutionary style and inspired a generation of musicians including Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Page, has died.

Scotty Moore was the last surviving member of the rock combo that included Presley, producer Sam Phillips and bassist Bill Black.

He died at his home in Nashville, his biographer and friend James Dickerson said. He was 84.

Presley's ex-wife Priscilla said: "Elvis loved Scotty dearly and treasured those amazing years together, both in the studio and on the road.

"Scotty was an amazing musician and a legend in his own right. The incredible music that Scotty and Elvis made together will live forever and influence generations to come", she added.

Moore was a local session musician when he and Black were put in the same band with Presley, by the Memphis-based Sun Records studios on July 5 1954.

Moore's bright riffs and fluid solos complimented Presley's strumming guitar rhythm - a foundation on which he developed a fresh blend of blues, gospel and country that became known as rock 'n roll.

Presley rose from regional act to international stardom, but Keith Richards once observed: "Everyone else wanted to be Elvis, but I wanted to be Scotty."

Scott Moore became a studio manager, engineer and businessman, and was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2000.