Electric Light Orchestra keyboardist Richard Tandy, the "remarkable" musician who helped shape the band's futuristic sound, had died at age 76.
The rock band's founder Jeffrey Lynne confirmed the news Wednesday on X.
"It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my long-time collaborator and dear friend Richard Tandy," the statement read. "He was a remarkable musician & friend and I'll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together."
No date or cause of death was given.
Born in Birmingham, Tandy joined ELO after their self-titled debut album in 1972, the BBC reported. He initially played bass but later moved on to play keyboard in the band after Roy Wood left. A versatile musician whose talents included the Minimoog synthesizer, Wurlitzer electric piano, clavinet, Mellotron, and piano, Tandy also lent his voice to one of the band's iconic tracks, "Mr. Blue Sky," in 1977.
Tandy stayed with the band until they split in 1986. Lynne reformed the band in 2014 as Jeff Lynne's ELO with Tandy onboard as keyboardist.
"Richard is my lifetime man in the group. He'd be in the studio with me when other people just wouldn't be," Lynne said in a 2015 interview. "It's just my choice," he continued of bringing Tandy back into the band. "He's a great musician, a great piano player and I really enjoy his company," the Independent noted.
Tandy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 alongside bandmates Lynne, Bev Bevan, and Wood. He was described as Lynne's "multi-instrumentalist, co-orchestrator and valued musical partner."
"Tandy was crucial in ELO's creation of a realm where rock and classical music could exist together," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said in a statement following news of his death.
In a statement to BBC, Bevan described his late bandmate as "a really dedicated musician" who "really studied his craft."
"His real forte was in the studio. He was Jeff Lynne's right-hand man and was with Jeff all the time in the studio. I couldn't drag them out," he said. "I have nothing but fond memories of him. He was a lovely, lovely guy."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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