HOMICIDE detectives have been called in to investigate the death of veteran performer Greg Ham, a key member of the chart-busting Australian band Men At Work.

Police said there were a number of "unexplained issues" with the 58-year-old's death, which had last night left Australia's music industry in shock.

His body was found in a front room of his Melbourne home by friends, who let themselves in yesterday after he failed to answer the front door.

Men At Work frontman Colin Hay last night spoke of his love for his bandmate, saying they "conquered the world together".

"I love him very much. He's a beautiful man," he told the Herald Sun. Despite making a fortune in his heyday with No.1 hits including Who Can it Be Now and Down Under, Ham had fallen on hard times.

Read more on Hay's reaction at the Herald Sun(subscription content).

The news broke yesterday afternoon, with Derryn Hinch, 3AW and Ben Fordham all reporting the man famous for that Down Under riff had died.

Police confirmed they were investigating the discovery of a man's body in Melbourne's inner north.

Ham's was found by a friend at his house in Canning Street, Carlton, yesterday morning.

Leave your tributes for Greg Ham in the comments section below

"Police have established a crime scene, and the local crime investigation unit are attempting to determine cause of death," a spokeswoman said.

Ham, 58, was an integral member of the hugely popular Men At Work, fronted by Colin Hay.

The pop-reggae band dominated during the early 1980s, when they released one of Australia's most beloved classics, Down Under.

Ham's flute riff is instantly recognisable in any Australian household, and he also lent his hand to the keyboard and saxophone until the band parted ways in 1985.

Melbourne man Ham leaves behind two children, and a career that also included an acting stint on While You're Down There.

A post-mortem examination will be held to determine the cause of death.

"At this point in time, because of the early stages of our investigation, we're not prepared to go into the exact details of what has occurred," Det Sen Sgt O'Connell said.

A friend went to check on Ham yesterday morning after not being able to get in contact with him for the past week, leaving when no one answered the door. He later returned with another friend and they found the body.

Ham lived by himself at the home.

Copyright disappointment

Men at Work achieved international fame in the 1980s but Ham feared he'd end up being remembered mostly for the copyright dispute over the flute riff in their 80s hit Down Under.

A court in 2010 found the riff was unmistakably the same as Kookaburra, penned by Toorak teacher Marion Sinclair more than 75 years ago for a Girl Guides competition.

The decision left Ham shattered.

"It has destroyed so much of my song," he told Fairfax at the time.

"It will be the way the song is remembered and I hate that. I'm terribly disappointed that that's the way I'm going to be remembered - for copying something."

Neighbour John Nassar said he knew Ham for about 30 years and the pair would stop and say hello.

"He was a lovely human being, never judgmental about anyone, " Mr Nassar told reporters.

"He was a very friendly human being."

- with AAP