Mr Vance died at the Darent Valley Hospital, in Kent, at around 4am following a stroke.
The DJ who was best known for hosting VH1’s Friday Rock Show was rushed into hospital three days ago after suffering his first stroke at home in Kent.
His agent Jon Roseman said Mr Vance would leave “an enormous voidâ€.
“I had known Tommy for 35 years. He certainly had one of the most recognisable voices on radio.
“He was a great bloke and he was held in very high regard for his knowledge of rock which was unsurpassed. Without Tommy there will be a hole that is not going to be filled,†he said.
Mr Vance’s trademark gravely voice landed him many commercial voice-over jobs earning him the distinction of the “voice on legsâ€.
He started his career in the USA in the 1960s on LA-based radio station KHJ.
More recently TV audiences saw Mr Vance walk out of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen when he could no longer take the heat.
Mr Vance had been drafted into the show to replace Roger Cook when he fell off a chair an injured his knee.
But it wasn’t long before he threw in the towel when he could take no more of the chef’s foul-mouthed insults.
During the course of his radio career which has included stints at Radio Caroline and Radio 1, where he worked for 15 years, Mr Vance interviewed over 10,000 guests including Prince Charles.
He leaves an ex-wife Stella, and two children Jessie, 19, and 22-year-old Daniel.
Paying tribute to the veteran DJ, Andy Parfitt, Controller of Radio 1, said: “Tommy Vance was a great broadcaster.
“He presented for many years on Radio 1 the seminal rock show which a whole generation of music fans remember very fondly.
“He will be sadly missed by listeners and fellow DJs
