A popular Ipswich band is mourning the loss of a ‘brother, drummer and best friend’ after 29-year-old Tom Williams sadly died in his sleep following an unexpected seizure.
Tributes have been pouring in on social media for the father and music-lover, who grew up in Bramford and was known for being in the band Hot Tramp, following the news of his tragic death.
Tom, who worked at legal firm Birketts and was a loving father to his "ray of sunshine" Daisy, aged three, is understood to have died from a seizure in his sleep on Tuesday, February 25.
It is believed that the seizure was brought on by Tom's epilepsy.
Bandmates Josh Carr, 29, and Lewis Grey, 28, who were students at Claydon High School with Tom, said they were "devastated" by the news of their best friend's death.
Josh, who was best friends with Lewis since his childhood years, said: "He was everybody's best friend. But he was a soulmate to me.
"Mine and Tom's existence was like one conjoined twin growing on the neck of another. No one could aggravate the other like we could. No one could argue like we could. But we could never part as we fed from the same blood source and this would mean the other would perish.
"Along with our brother Lewis we took our three-legged stool and shared the most outrageous experiences, met the craziest clowns and smashed audiences with our naive, unforgiving sounds. Now one of the legs has fallen off that stool and I am forever grateful to have experienced it all with my childhood friends.
"Tom has left me and I feel myself perishing. I will never sing the same way. I will never laugh as hard. I will never be as angry or as happy at someone as before. I will never make music the same as we did."
The Hot Tramp band has been together for more than seven years and has built a big following in the local music scene, with gigs at Ipswich venues such as The Steamboat Tavern.
Lewis, who played music with Tom for more than 10 years, said: "He was so personable, everyone loved him, and he was hilariously funny.
"We had so many good times together, such as travelling the world and gigging in Germany last year. He was an incredibly positive, relatable guy who had a real passion for music and was an amazing father to Daisy."
"He was also an incredibly oblivious person so we used to call him the Tasmanian Devil, as he always brought chaos with him wherever he went."
Tom leaves behind his daughter Daisy and her mother Amy, his father Paul, mother Janice and brother Tim.
A fundraising page, which was set up by Tom's close friends and family to help raise money for his funeral, has already exceeded its £6,000 target - raising nearly £12,000.
On the fundraising page, Tom's family said he was "kind, caring, thoughtful, talented, wise, well read, knowledgeable, hilarious, a clumsy oaf, fiercely intelligent, an adored son and a devoted father and brother".
Any money raised that exceeds the cost of the funeral will be going to his daughter Daisy, who will turn four years old next month.
The band will be hosting a memorial show in the summer in honour of Tom, with details confirmed nearer the time.
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