Dudgeon was killed on Sunday when his vehicle veered off the M4 between Reading and Maidenhead, and plunged down an embankment.

John was said to be "devastated" by the news. "He was an incredibly talented producer and a dear friend for several years. I will miss him terribly," he said on his website.

Dudgeon produced many of the singer's classics tracks, including Your Song, Rocket Man and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Caine attacks British 'losers'

Oscar-winning actor Sir Michael Caine called the British a bunch of "losers".

In an interview in The New York Times, he said, "We lose everything. We lost the World Cup. We lost Wimbledon. But we do it with grace and style because we're used to it."

The 69-year-old also suggested that he was hated in the UK because of his overseas success. "But that's OK," he added. "I'd rather have people hate me than fail."

Caine stars in the new Austin Powers film Goldmember, which is released in the UK and US on Friday.

Gates stays on top

Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates is celebrating a second week at number one with his latest single.

The teenager's second release, Any One Of Us (Stupid Mistake) held onto its position at the top ahead of Scooter's The Logical Song, which remained at number two.

Highest new entry was Flip & Fill's Shooting Star at number three, while Elton John and Alessandro Safina's Your Song - in aid of Sport Relief - entered the chart at four.

Destiny's Child singer Beyonce Knowles went in at number seven with Work It Out.

Strong support for rolling Requiem

A group of Seattle singers organising a series of simultaneous worldwide performances of Mozart's Requiem on 11 September have said they have received thousands of e-mails in support of the idea.

The Rolling Requiem already has 30 choirs from around the world including groups in Taiwan, Latvia and Wales, where a backer has invited another 200 choirs.

Each performance is to begin at 0846, the moment at eastern time of the first attack on the World Trade Center in New York

They will start at the international date line and move westward by time zone.