Madrid (AFP) - Camilo Sesto, a Spanish singer and composer of romantic ballads who scored a string of number one hits in a career that spanned decades, has died aged 72, his family said Sunday.

"Dear friends, We are very sorry to inform you that our great and dear artist Camilo Sesto has just left us. Rest in peace," his family wrote on Sesto's official twitter account.

Spanish public television TVE said he died from cardiac arrest at a Madrid hospital.

Sesto, real name Camilo Blanes Cortes, sang in two pop bands during the 1960s before recording his first album "Algo De Mí", or "Something of Me", in 1971.

He went on to sell over 70 million albums, making him one of the most famous Spanish singers of all time.

His notable hits include "¿Quieres ser mi amante?", or "Do you want to be my lover?", "El Amor de mi Vida", or "The Love of my Life", and "Perdoname", or "Forgive me".

While most of Sesto's music was in Spanish, he also recorded in English, German, Japanese, Catalan, and Portuguese.

As a composer Sesto wrote songs for top singers such as Spanish pop star Miguel Bose and Mexican crooner Jose Jose.

In 1975 Sesto starred in Madrid in the Spanish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar".

"With his genuine voice, as a singer and composer, he managed to be one of the most loved and universal artists. Spain and all of Latin America lament the loss of Camilo Sesto," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted.

Sesto was gearing up for a US tour with performances scheduled for later this year in Miami, New York and Los Angeles.