The keyboardist for Depeche Mode, Andy Fletcher, passed away at the age of 60 from a “aortic dissection,” the band reported.
Fletcher, well known by his stage moniker “Fletch,” started the band in Basildon in 1980 and was just two years ago elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The band stated there had been a “outpouring of affection” and that it had been “amazing” to witness how much he meant to everyone after his passing on May 26.
Depeche Mode wrote in a statement that was shared on Instagram: “As you can guess, it’s been a strange, sad, and unsettling few weeks for us here, to put it mildly.” But we’ve seen your love and support firsthand, and we know Andy’s family has as well.
‘A couple weeks ago we received the result from the medical examiners, which Andy’s family asked us to share with you now.
‘Andy suffered an aortic dissection while at home on May 26. So, even though it was far, far too soon, he passed naturally and without prolonged suffering.’
A memorial service for him was conducted last week in London, according to the band, and they described it as a “wonderful ceremony and gathering with a few tears, but packed with the fantastic memories of who Andy was, stories of all of our experiences together, and some good laughter.”
The ailment known as an aortic dissection is when a rip develops in the aorta’s inner layer.
‘Andy was celebrated in a room full of many of his friends and family, our immediate DM family, and so many people who have touched Andy’s and our lives throughout the years,’ they said.
‘All being together was a very special way to remember Andy and see him off.
‘So thank you for all of the love you’ve shown Andy and his family and friends over the last few weeks. It honestly means the world to all of us. Andy, you’ll be missed, but certainly not forgotten.’
The statement was signed off by bandmates Martin Gore and Dave Gahan.
Fletcher, who was born in Nottingham and relocated to Basildon as a young child, created the group Depeche Mode with Vince Clarke and Gore.
Fletcher remained with the band for the entirety of its four-decade career, from its first album Speak and Spell through 2017’s Spirit, whereas Clarke left in the early 1980s.
Songs Of Faith and Devotion and Ultra, two of its albums from this time period, both peaked at No. 1 on the charts.
Despite their fame, the band never had a No. 1 hit, yet their songs People Are People, Barrel Of A Gun, and Precious all peaked at No. 4 in three different decades.
Fletcher left behind two kids, Megan and Joe, as well as his wife of over 30 years, Grainne.
Comparing his contribution to Depeche Mode to those of his bandmates Gore, Alan Wilder, and Dave Gahan, Fletcher was frequently humble.
He summarized their duties as follows in an interview for the 1989 film 101: “Martin’s the lyricist, Alan’s the good guitarist, Dave’s the vocalist, and I bum around.”
Despite being well-known, the band never had a No. 1 hit, yet its songs People are People, Barrel of a Gun, and Precious all peaked at No. 4 in three different decades.
Depeche Mode, a French fashion magazine, is where the band got its name, as vocalist Gahan explained: “It signifies rushed fashion or fashion delivery.” That seems good to me.
In 1980, Depeche Mode performed their debut show at a local high school. They then produced demo recordings and sent them directly to record labels.
After being approached by indie record company Mute Records, whose founder Daniel Miller was intrigued by their distinct electronic sound, they ultimately produced their debut song, “Dreaming of Me,” in December 1980.
Within the UK charts, it peaked at number 57. Encouraged by their early success, the group released a follow-up song, “New Life,” which peaked at number 11 in the charts and earned them a spot on Top of the Pops for the first time.
Memorably, the band travelled to the BBC studio in London by train, taking their synthesizers with them.
The band’s debut album ‘Speak and Spell’ opened with ‘New Life’ and closed with one of the band’s enduring hits, ‘Just Can’t Get Enough.’
The group’s third song, “Just Can’t Get Enough,” gave them their first top ten smash and catapulted them to fame.
Around this time, the band’s original synthesist Clarke left to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet, but Depeche Mode continued to have hits with songs like “Enjoy the Silence,” “Strangelove,” and “Personal Jesus” as they built on their success in the 1980s.
With the single “People are People” and the album “Some Great Reward,” the group would achieve international popularity, and their notoriety would continue to rise throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Classic albums like “Music for the Masses,” “Black Celebration,” and “Violator” featured Fletcher’s keyboard skills.
The first of these led to a world tour that brought a live album, a documentary, and a legendary concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, that represented the pinnacle of the band’s prominence.
Fletcher, a chess enthusiast and Chelsea FC supporter, kept a quiet presence in the group. His visage was never as well-known as the faces of his bandmates since he did not sing or create songs.
Fletcher handled many of the band’s financial and publicity concerns. He then developed his career by managing Gascogne’s in St. John’s Wood, North West London, in the 1990s.
After a string of poor investments, he acknowledged having despair and going through a breakdown in 1994, but he recovered and went on to perform for the rest of the following decades.
In 2002, he founded Toast Hawaii and released an album by the band CLIENT under that name.
Fletcher would do DJ sets at the band’s live performances, and even after he and CLIENT split up, he continued to do so at events and clubs.
Spirit, the group’s most recent studio album, was released in 2017.
Its members said they were happy to have drawn listeners from different genres, including rock enthusiasts who would have seldom entered a dance club, in an interview with AFP prior to its release.
‘One of our legacies is to make electronic music popular to the masses,’ Fletcher said.