ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Oliver Dragojevic, one of the most popular pop singers in the former Yugoslavia, has died at 70.

Croatian media say Dragojevic died early Sunday in a hospital in his hometown of Split, a city on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. He was diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago.

Dragojevic gained huge following in the former Yugoslavia with his romantic hits sung in a specific Dalmatian dialect of Croatia.

Dragojevic remained popular among former Yugoslavs even after the country broke up in a war in the 1990s. Media throughout the region have reported his death, describing Dragojevic as a “legendary singer.”

Although highly popular in Serbia, he refused to stage concerts there after the bloodshed of the 1991-95 Croatian war for independence against the Serb-led Yugoslav army.