Fleetwood Mac co-founder and influential blues rock guitarist Peter Green has died.

Green, from London, formed the band with drummer Mick Fleetwood, in 1967, after Green's stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, where he filled in for Eric Clapton.

Green and Fleetwood convinced John McVie to join the band as bass guitarist, in part by naming the band Fleetwood Mac an under Green's direction, they produced three albums and a series of well-loved tracks including Albatross, Black Magic Woman and Oh Well.

Green left the band in 1970, as he struggled with his mental health. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent time in hospital in the mid-70s.

Singer-songwriter Green was among the eight members of the band - along with Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie, Christine McVie, Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer - who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

The news comes days after Fleetwood Mac announced they will release a retrospective boxset, documenting the band's early years between 1969 and 1974.

Paying tribute, Whitesnake's David Coverdale said Green was an artist he "truly loved and admired". In a tweet, he said: "I supported the original Fleetwood Mac at Redcar Jazz Club when I was in a local band... he was a breathtaking singer, guitarist and composer. I know who I will be listening to today. RIP"

In February this year, artists including Fleetwood, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and guitarists Jonny Lang and Andy Fairweather Low performed at the London Palladium in a gig celebrating the early years of Fleetwood Mac and its founder, Green.

He was 73.