LOS ANGELES (AP) – Andy “Fletch” Fletcher, keyboardist of British giants Deptche Mode Depeche Mode for more than 40 years, has died at age 60.
Depeche Mode announced the death of their founding member Fletcher on their official social media pages.
Someone close to the group said Fletcher died of natural causes on Thursday at his home in the UK. The man spoke on condition of anonymity because he had no right to speak in public.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the untimely death of our dear friend, family member and bandmate Andy‘ Fletch ’Fletcher,” the group said in a statement. “A good laugh or a cold pint”.
Fletcher developed the Depeche Mode synthesizer with fellow musicians Vince Clark and Martin Gore and singer Dave Gahan in Basildon, England in 1980.
The band reappeared a year later on their debut album “Speak and Spell”, which opened with the moderate hit “New Life” and ended with one of the band’s permanent hits “Just Can’t Get Enough”. .
Clark leaves the band and will be replaced by Alan Wilder after the album.
The band achieved international success through the 1984 single “Some Great Reward” and the single “People are People”, and their popularity only grew in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Fletcher borrowed his keyboards from classic albums, including “Music for the Masses”, “Black Celebration” and “Violator”.
The first of these resulted in a world tour that resulted in a live album, documentary and legendary concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, which was the pinnacle of the band’s appearance.
Shiny in red, inclined to chess, Fletcher had a low temper in the group. He never sang or wrote songs and his face never became as familiar as his bandmates.
“Martin is the songwriter, Alan is a great musician, Dave is a singer and I’m crazy,” he said on touring documentary 101.
But Fletch was a lonely figure and often a strong voice in the clashes of his most famous group of comrades.
Sometimes he also played bass in the band.
His death left Gahan and Gore as the only permanent members.
Fletcher’s music colleagues paid tribute to him when news of his death spread.
“His keyboard not only created the sonic approach of Depeche Mode, but also changed the direction of Techno, EDM, Downtempo, Triphop and Electronica.” An important loss, ”Living Color guitarist Vernon Reid wrote on Twitter.
The Pet Shop Boys claimed on Twitter that they are “a warm, sociable and cheerful person who loves electronic music”.
We are saddened and shocked that Depeche Mode member Andy Fletcher is dead. Fletch is a warm, sociable and cheerful person who loves electronic music and can also give reasonable advice in the music business. pic.twitter.com/tOMQaeaFoc
– Pet Shop Boys (@petshopboys) May 26, 2022
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark tweeted that he was “an amazing person in an amazing group”.
The eldest of four siblings, Fletcher was born in Basildon and grew up in Nottingham, England.
She befriended Clark as a child and singer Ellison Moet, who formed Yazoo (known as Yaz in the US) with Clark after leaving Depeche Mode.
“Since we were 10,” Moiet tweeted on Thursday. “Same ownership. Classmates are characteristic of peers. Who keeps the faith with all the old gang and with him they are. Unimportant. Flech. “No words”.
As teenagers, Fletcher and Clark formed the short group “No Romance”.
Together with Gore, whom Fletcher met at the Basildon Pub in 1980, they formed the Composition of Sound trio, with all three synthesizers. Gahan was taken over by the group at the end of the year and the name was changed to Depeche Mode.
Fletcher remained with the group until his death, but in 1994 a battle with depression forced him to leave the tour.
He formed his Toast Hawaii label in 2002 with the release of the band’s album CLIENT.
Fletcher performed DJ sets at the band’s live shows, which went on to festivals and clubs after he split up and a client.
Fletcher is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Greene Mulan, and their children, Megan and Joe.
Source: Huffpost
