Andy Fletcher, the keyboardist for electronic music giants Depeche Mode, has died at the age of 60, the band announced.
Fletcher, nicknamed “Fletch”, founded the group in Basildon, in the south-east of England, in 1980 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years ago.
In a statement, Depeche Mode said: “We are shocked and overwhelmed by the overwhelming sadness of the untimely death of our dear friend, family member and bandmate.
“Fletch had a real heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh or a cold look.”
Fletcher was born in Nottingham and moved to Basildon as a child, where he formed what would become known as Depeche Mode with Martin Gore and Vince Clarke. They were soon joined by singer Dave Gahan.
While Clarke left in the early 1980s, Fletcher remained with the group throughout its four decades of history, from the debut album Speak & Spell to Spirit in 2017.
Lol Tolhurst, drummer for The Cure, shared a heartfelt tribute to Fletcher after his death was announced.
“I knew Andy and considered him a friend. We crossed many of the same paths as younger men,” he tweeted.
“My heart goes out to his family, his bandmates and DM fans. RIP Fletch.”
Camera icon Andy Fletcher performs with Depeche Mode during his 2017 Global Spirit tour in Washington, DC Credit: AP
Carol Decker, lead singer of the band T’Pau, described Fletcher as “a lovely boy,” adding, “Sending all my love to his friends and family members.”
And Pet Shop Boys said in a Facebook post, “We’re sad and shocked that Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher is dead.”
Fletcher was often modest in his role in Depeche Mode compared to his fellow musicians Gore, Gahan and Alan Wilder.
In an interview for the 1989 documentary 101, he described his roles as “Martin is the songwriter, Alan is the good musician, Dave is the lead singer, and I love it.”
Despite their popularity, the band never had a single number 1 in their home UK, although they reached number 4 for three different decades with People are People, Barrel of a Gun and Precious.
His biggest hit in Australia was the single Just Can’t Get Enough, which reached number 4 in 1981.
Fletcher leaves behind a woman, Grainne, with whom he was married for nearly 30 years, and two children, Megan and Joe.
His former bandmates said “their hearts are with his family” and asked fans to “have them in your thoughts and respect their privacy at this difficult time.”
The cause of death has not yet been confirmed.