Singer-songwriter, known for his Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley music, released 16 albums and retired in 2015 after health problems

Singer-songwriter Leon Redbone has died at the age of 69.

Redbone, known for Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley music, had retired in 2015 after health problems. Over his career, he released 16 full-length albums.

“He departed our world with his guitar, his trusty companion Rover, and a simple tip of his hat,” a post on his site read. “To his fans, friends, and loving family who have already been missing him so in this realm he says, ‘Oh behave yourselves. Thank you … and good evening everybody.’”

Born in Cyprus and once allegedly known as Dickran Gobalian, Redbone moved to Canada in the 60s and by the 70s he was touring Toronto-based venues. At the Mariposa folk festival, Bob Dylan was so impressed with Redbone’s performance that he later mentioned it in a Rolling Stone interview, leading them to profile Redbone before he had a record contract.

Notoriously secretive, Redbone rarely spoke out but when asked in a rare interview why he chose to focus on music from the 20s and 30s, he said: “It was a more interesting time, a more interesting period in the history of the music development of certain styles of music. Something about it seems to speak to me more than what came after.”

His first album, On the Track, was released in 1975 and Redbone soon became a small screen staple, appearing twice on the first season of Saturday Night Live and a regular on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He also sang the theme to 80s sitcom Mr Belvedere and 90s sitcom Harry and the Hendersons. On the big screen, he duetted with Zooey Deschanel for a cover of Baby, It’s Cold Outside for the end credits of 2003’s Elf.

His last original album was 2014’s Flying By. Redbone announced his retirement the year after, as performing had become “too challenging” for him.