A HAMPSHIRE born 60s icon, who died ten years ago, is still making pop history.

Heinz Burt, pictured, was bass guitarist with The Tornados who were the first British band to top the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with Telstar.

The haunting instrumental, a musical tribute to the trailblazing communications satellite, has hit the headlines again as one of the top sellers of that golden decade of pop.

The Official Charts Company puts the multi-million selling record into the top 20 of biggest selling singles of the 60s. The Tornados’ Telstar came 17th in the list which was topped by The Beatles with She Loves You.

The Fab Four’s biggest rivals, The Rolling Stones, failed to get into the top 20, which also included Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Engelbert Humperdinck and Ken Dodd.

Telstar, which sold at least five million copies worldwide, won an Ivor Novello Award for its creator Joe Meek. The controversial independent record producer put Heinz , who grew up in Eastleigh, on the road to fame.

Telstar remained in the UK pop charts for 25 weeks, five of them at number one, and in the American charts for 16 weeks. But the smash hit record never turned Heinz or his fellow Tornados into millionaires.

Heinz died on April 7, 2000 aged 57 after a brave battle with motor neurone disease. He had lost out on millions of pounds in royalties and he died with only £18 to his name.

At his funeral at Southampton Crematorium the strains of Telstar filled the chapel.