Swedish pop super group ABBA lost its main guitarist Lesse Wellander on Good Friday when cancer claimed him after a short illness. He was 70.
Wellander’s family said he had recently been diagnosed with cancer and died surrounded by his loved ones in his native Sweden.
“You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather,” they said in a post to the musician’s Facebook page, ABC news Australia reports.
“A hub in our lives, and it’s unbelievable we now have to live on without you.”
The band also paid tribute on their own dedicated Facebook space:
In their own words.
Posted by ABBA on Monday, April 10, 2023
Wellander first joined ABBA in October 1974 for a recording session and quickly became the band’s main guitarist, touring with them in 1975 through to 1980.
He worked on the soundtracks for Mamma Mia! The Movie and its sequel, as well as the most recent ABBA album Voyage, which was released in 2021.
Wellander also worked with ABBA founding members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus on projects following the band’s first break-up in 1982.
After a short period of illness our beloved friend and the absolutely brilliant guitarist Lasse Wellander has passed…
Posted by ABBA The Museum on Monday, April 10, 2023
The musician also went on to release a number of solo albums during his career, including his most recent, Simple Ticket, in 2006.
He has also received a number of awards including the Albin Hagstrom Memorial Award from the Royal Swedish Academy Of Music in 2005 and Swedish Musicians’ Union’s special prize in 2018.