Cult musician Daniel Johnston dies at 58

Daniel Johnston, whose guileless, homemade recordings inspired dozens of musicians from Kurt Cobain to Lana Del Rey, has died at the age of 58.

The songwriter and artist "passed away of natural causes" at his home in Texas, said his family in a statement, according to BBC News.

He was mourned online by those he inspired, including musician Beck and film star Elijah Wood, who called him "a gentle, beautiful treasure".

Producer Jack Antonoff praised the way Johnston had "shared fearlessly".

Born in California in 1961 and raised in West Virginia, Johnston became known as a songwriter after moving to Austin, Texas.

His reputation in the city grew after he started handing out cassette tapes of his no-frills home recordings to people in the street.

A cult figure on the local music scene, he gained wider exposure when MTV filmed a programme on the Austin music scene in 1985 for its series The Cutting Edge.

Johnston's performance brought him almost overnight acclaim, and his early home recordings received a belated vinyl release on the indie label Homestead.