Death of Andy Fletcher, one of the founding members of the Depeche Mode group
Andy Fletcher, keyboardist of the British band Depeche Mode, during a press conference at the Gaîté Lyrique in Paris, October 2012. © RFI/Edmond Sadaka
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Andy Fletcher, keyboardist and founding member of British "new wave" group Depeche Mode, has died at the age of 60, the group announced, "
shocked
" by his "
premature
" departure.
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Born in July 1961 in Nottingham, Andrew Fletcher, nicknamed "Fletch" was one of the keyboardists of the band Depeche Mode.
Died at the age of 60, the group announced this Thursday, May 26, He leaves behind Grainne, his wife of 30 years, and two children, Megan and Joe.
"
We are shocked and filled with immense sadness at the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member and band member
," said Depeche Mode, which formed in 1980 in Basildon, some 40 miles away. east of London.
Over a hundred million records sold
"
'Fletch' had a real heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh or a cold pint
," Depeche Mode said in a statement.
"
Our thoughts are with his family
," added the group asking to "
respect their privacy at this difficult time
."
Depeche Mode has sold over one hundred million records worldwide.
Among his greatest hits, "Just can't get enough", "Everything Counts", "Never Let Me Down Again", or "Walking in my Shoes".
Pioneers of synthetic pop in the early 1980s, they developed this genre until they freed themselves from it by opening up to guitars in the early 1990s. The group enjoyed immense success with the album
Violator
(1990 ), which notably includes the hits “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence”.
Depeche Mode had debuted in the top 11 of the UK charts in June 1981 with their second single
New Life
.
Originally, the band included keyboardist and songwriter Vince Clarke, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter Martin Gore, keyboardist Andy Fletcher, and vocalist and songwriter Dave Gahan.
Vince Clarke left the band at the end of 1981 and was replaced two years later by Alan Wilder.
Depeche mode's latest studio album,
Spirit
, was released in 2017, followed by a tour of Europe and the Americas.
"
A lovely guy
"
Lol Tolhurst, drummer of The Cure, reacted to the announcement of Andrew Fletcher's death by regretting "
very sad news
".
“
I knew Andy and considered him a friend.
We crossed the same paths many times when we were younger
,” he said.
Carol Decker, lead singer of T'Pau, described Andrew Fletcher as "
a lovely guy
", adding, "
Sending all my love to his family friends and band members
."
Many artists, from pop to techno, now claim their influence.
(
with AFP
)
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