ABBA have paid tribute to their longtime guitarist Lasse Wellander, who has sadly passed away.
The musician, who worked with the iconic group for decades, died at the age of 70 last week, following a battle with cancer.
The band’s members Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad have since released a statement about the passing of their “dear friend”.
They wrote: “The importance of his creative input in the recording studio as well as his rock solid guitar work on stage was immense.
“We mourn his tragic and premature death and remember the kind words, the sense of humour, the smiling face, the musical brilliance of the man who played such an integral role in the Abba story. He will be deeply missed and never forgotten.”
A statement released by Lasse’s family on Sunday read: “It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep.”
Another amazing example of Lasse Wellander’s (1952-2023) virtuosity and contribution to ABBA. #abba #abbavoyage #70s #music #pop #mammamia #rip #sweden pic.twitter.com/zzsmnxbScZ
— Lay All Your ❤️ On Me (@JonJon22511287) April 10, 2023
“Lasse recently fell ill with what turned out to be cancer that had spread, and early on Good Friday he passed away surrounded by his loved ones. We love and miss you so much.”
Lasse started working with ABBA in 1974, and featured on all eight of their albums.
He also took part in the making of the Mamma Mia! movie soundtrack, and was involved in ABBA’s most recent album Voyage – which was released in 2021.
