April 10, (THEWILL) – A Swedish pop group, ABBA, has lost its long-term guitarist, Lasse Wellander. The instrumentalist died aged 70 after a short battle with cancer.
The Swedish musician played on some of the iconic pop group’s biggest hits in the 70s and 80s.
He was also involved in their recent album titled ‘Voyage’, which was released in 2021.
Wellander, who played in a total of 24 of ABBA’s recordings, died on Good Friday.
His family made this known in a statement shared on his Facebook account on Sunday.
“It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep. Lasse recently fell ill in what turned out to be spread cancer and early on Good Friday, he passed away, surrounded by his loved ones.
“You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all, you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather. Kind, safe, caring and loving and so much more that cannot be described in words. A hub in our lives, and it’s unbelievable that we now have to live on without you.
“We love and miss you so much. Lena, Ludvig and Andréas”
The Swedish group also described Wellander while paying tribute to him.
“He was a dear friend, a fun guy and superb guitarist. The importance of his creative input in the recording studio as well as his rock solid guitar work on stage was immense,” ABBA told CNN.
“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.”
