[Les]

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- John Entwistle, the bass player for veteran British rock band The Who, died in Las Vegas Thursday at age 57, just one day before the group was set to begin a North American tour in the city, the Clark County Coroner said.

Entwistle, a bearded, taciturn type affectionately known as "Ox," died at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, said coroner Ron Flud. An investigation was under way into the cause of death, he added.

The Who, known for such hits as "My Generation," "Pinball Wizard" and "Won't Get Fooled Again," were scheduled to begin their three-month tour in a small club at the hotel.

With Entwistle's death, The Who are down to just two original members, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend. Original drummer Keith Moon died of an accidental pill overdose in 1978.

In addition to playing bass, Entwistle helped out on backing vocals. His songwriting contributions to The Who were sporadic, mostly limited to a few album tracks and B-sides. He released a half-dozen solo albums.

Entwistle, who was born in the London suburb of Chiswick on October 9, 1944, joined Daltrey in a forerunner of The Who in the early 1960s while working as a tax clerk. The band ultimately took shape in 1964 and made an immediate impression with its "Mod" stylings and its expensive habit of trashing all its stage equipment after each set.