Last Friday night in St Kilda, Brian Henry Hooper played bass guitar in a benefit concert organised by friends and fellow musicians to raise funds as he battled cancer.

On Friday morning, April 20, Hooper died. He was 55.

Hooper was being cared for in recent weeks at Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Hospital, until ‘‘Brian’s ship peacefully sailed this morning,’’ according to a statement from his family.

Brian Hooper has died a week after his final performance

Hooper arrived on stage in a wheel chair prior to an emotional performance at St Kilda's Prince of Wales just a week ago. He briefly left hospital on the night to perform with the Beasts of Bourbon, who he played bass guitar with since joining the band in the early 1990's.