Andrew Fletcher, a founding member of Depeche Mode and the band's keyboardist, has died of natural causes. He was 60.
"We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy 'Fletch' Fletcher," Depeche Mode said in a statement released Thursday. "Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint."
Depeche Mode formed in 1980 and gained worldwide fame with hits like "Enjoy the Silence," "Personal Jesus," "Never Let Me Down Again," and "Strangelove." Fletcher played on all 14 of Depeche Mode's studio albums, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the band in 2020. In a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, Fletcher said his role in Depeche Mode was to "contribute the element of pop," adding that he "will probably eternally feel loyal to the simple pop melodies and the lightness they stand for."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fletcher is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Grainne, and children Megan and Joe.
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Robert Redford: the Hollywood icon who founded the Sundance Film FestivalFeature Redford’s most lasting influence may have been as the man who ‘invigorated American independent cinema’ through Sundance
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacyFeature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th-century clothing
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
