Viral Web's 'Mr. Trololo' dies at 77

(CNN) -- Eduard Khil, a Soviet-era singing star who found renewed popularity as the viral Web's "Mr. Trololo," died Monday, June 4th, Russian media reported.

Khil had been in a St. Petersburg, Russia hospital since suffering a stroke in April. He was 77.

With a toothy grin, Khil delivers a clearly lip-synced performance minus lyrics, instead using a series of made-up syllables, including the "trololololo" that captured the hearts of millions.

According to New Music Express, the original lyrics, about a cowboy riding his horse home to meet his sweetheart Mary, were censored because they were deemed "un-Soviet." That led to his "mouth music" version, which ends up sounding like a mash-up of yodeling and jazz-era scat singing over a cheesy orchestral arrangement.

Soon, the video was being used online as a new target for the bait-and-switch Rickroll meme in which a user posts a link to something supposedly relevant or interesting but turns out to be a ridiculous or annoying video or image instead.

The original video was viewed more than 12 million times, with alternate versions and parodies racking up millions more.

Khil became aware of the song's viral success after hearing his grandson humming the tune, according to Know Your Meme.

He performed Khil several times afterward, with family members even starting a YouTube channel for him.

On Monday, Khil was remembered on the same social-media sites where his video spread. Several tributes had been voted up to the main page of Reddit, and both his real name and "Mr. Trololo" were trending on Twitter.

"Oh no, Mr. Trololo (i.e. Eduard Khil) has died," Jon Fingas, an editor for tech blog Engadget, wrote on the site. "The world is a sadder place. ... I'm glad the Internet gave him a lasting memory!"