Lasse Wellander, a well-known guitarist most recognised for his decades-long friendship with the Swedish singing group ABBA, has passed away. After a brief fight with cancer, he died on Friday, April 7, at the age of 70.
The band and the guitarist’s family both released statements confirming his passing. While not being an essential part of ABBA, Wellander collaborated with the group on a number of songs and albums starting in 1974. Continue reading to learn more about his life and career.
“It is with unfathomable regret that we have to announce that our darling Lasse has fallen slumber,” Wellander’s family wrote on his official Facebook page on Sunday. Lasse lately developed symptoms of what was later determined to be spread cancer, and he went away early on Good Friday while being accompanied by his loved ones.
Above all else, you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather. You were also an amazing musician and modest as few, but you were a few. Caring, safe, considerate, and loving—along with so much more that is indescribable. It’s unfathomable that we now have to survive without you. A centre in our lives,” the statement continued.
The group posted a homage to Wellander on Instagram. “Lasse was a great guitarist, a great guy, and a beloved friend. The band’s Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Frida Lyngstad said that the band really valued his creative influence in the studio and his rock-solid guitar playing on stage.
We recall the warm comments, sense of humour, smiling smile, and musical brilliance of the man who played such a significant part in the ABBA tale while we mourn his untimely and premature passing. They continued, “He will be greatly missed and never forgotten.
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The loss of their favourite performer was likewise mourned by the fans. “I’m shocked to learn this. Lasse was an incredibly talented guitarist, and his solo from “Eagle,” particularly the live version, is one of the greatest in the annals of popular music. Legend is gone, a fan tweeted.
Wellander, a 1952-born musician, joined Peps & Blues Quality in 1968 while he was a teenager. He recorded his first session with ABBA in 1974, and the songs Intermezzo No. 1 and Crazy World were made public. He later took over as the group’s primary guitarist and contributed to several albums, including Chess, Gemini, and the most recent, Voyage, which was released in 2021.
When Lyngstad, Andersson, Ulvaeus, and Fältskog parted ways with ABBA in 1982, Wellander continued to perform with Benny and Björn. In addition, he collaborated with a number of other bands, such as Little Mike, Stockholm All Stars, Sweet Soul Music, Low Budget Blues, and Zkiffz.
In his career, the guitarist put out seven studio albums, two of which debuted in the Top 40. Also, he received the Studioräven Prize from the Swedish Musicians Union in 2018 and the Albin Hagström Memorial Award from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2005.