Abba’s long-term guitarist Lasse Wellander has died aged 70, it has been confirmed.
The Swedish music star played on some of the band’s biggest hits and was a huge part of their recordings through the 1970s and 1980s.
Most recently, he had a hand in creating their Voyager album, released in 2021.
Announcing the sad news of his death, his family released a statement.
‘It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep.
‘Lasse recently fell ill with what turned out to be cancer that had spread, and early on Good Friday he passed away surrounded by his loved ones.’
The Facebook post, written by his family members, Lena, Ludvig and Andréas, concluded: ‘We love and miss you so much.’
Wellander’s career began when he started playing guitar as a child, becoming a member of local bands in his hometown of Nora, Sweden.
In October 1974, Wellander began recording with Abba for their hits Intermezzo No.1 and Crazy World.
The late guitarist went on to play on a total of 24 of Abba’s studio recordings, including all eight of their albums.
He also toured with the Waterloo hitmakers, hitting the stage and delighting sold-out crowds in 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1980.
When Abba disbanded the first time, he performed for other Swedish artists.
In 2007, Wellander actually worked on the smash hit soundtrack for the Mamma Mia! movie, starring the likes of Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried.
As well as his work with the Eurovision winners, Wellander went on to release a debut album of his own in 1981, before producing and releasing a whopping 11 more records in the coming years.
Released in 2006, his final solo LP with the English translation of its title meaning Simple Ticket.
Two of his albums entered the Top 40 album charts in the mid-1980s, while his most recent singles include O Come, All Ye Faithfull, Merry-Go-Round, and Overdrive, which dropped last year.
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