Van Morrison has been rocked by the tragic death of his lover Gigi Lee, mother of his two-year-old son George Ivan III.

The 44-year-old woman died from cancer at their Belfast home just two months ago, but the reclusive singer managed to keep it quiet.

Ireland’s Sunday World and Sunday Independent newspapers have broken the story and reported that the singer is "heartbroken."

The American-born Lee was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant and refused to undergo radiation treatment to protect her child.

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The Texan was Morrison’s tour manager on his 2009 Astral Weeks concert series and had set up home with the singer in Newtonards, just outside Belfast.

Lee’s death on October 7th was kept a secret, even from her close friends back in the USA.

Carla Higdon, who fell out with Lee after she took up with Morrison, told reporters she was unaware her childhood friend had died.

“I had no idea, nobody here knows she is dead,” said Higdon who refused to reveal details of her rift with Lee which saw her ordered out of the house she helped furnish.

“Gigi was my friend, my lifelong friend. I looked after her when she was sick. She was pregnant with little George at the time so they couldn’t use radiation treatment.

“But for so long she refused to believe she had cancer. I set up home for Gigi, I looked after the house for her, I did everything for her, so when we fell out it was very sad.

“I have always been there for her, we had always been so close but when someone accuses you of doing stuff you didn’t, it’s difficult.”

Morrison and Lee had lived together in Ulster since the birth of their son two years ago but were rarely seen in public together.