The Tragic Death Of ABBA Guitarist Lasse Wellander
Lasse Wellander, ABBA's longtime guitarist, has tragically died at the age of 70. His cause of death was cancer, according to his family. A statement shared on Wellander's Facebook page read, "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."
The statement continued to pay tribute to the artist's talents and remarkable humanity. It said, "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."
Wellander first teamed up with ABBA in 1974 and toured with them throughout the '70s, per CNN. He was featured on several notable albums, such as the soundtracks for the "Mamma Mia" movies and the 2021 ABBA album "Voyage." In light of his death, fans, as well as the iconic pop group, are looking back at Wellander's prolific career.
Lasse Wellander was an accomplished solo artist and key collaborator of ABBA
An exceptional guitarist, Lasse Wellander was lauded as an invaluable asset to ABBA. Following Wellander's death, the Swedish group grieved for the musician. On April 10, ABBA released a statement to CNN, saying, "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."
ABBA further detailed Wellander's incredible achievements on their website. Apparently, the guitarist was highly sought after by Swedish musicians. In addition to his collaborations with other artists, Wellander made a name for himself as a solo artist. He released seven albums, with two of them hitting the Top 40 charts in the mid-80s. Wellander received his share of accolades, as well, including the Albin Hagström Memorial Award from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2005. In 2018, he was given the Swedish Musicians Union's prestigious special prize Studioräven Award for his accomplishments as a session musician. Wellander will be remembered for his tremendous impact on the music community.