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Depeche Mode’s keyboardist Andy Fletcher died after suffering an ‘aortic dissection’ at the age of 60, the band announced.
Fletcher, nicknamed ‘Fletch’, founded the group in Basildon in 1980 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years ago.
Following his death on May 26, the band said there had been an ‘outpouring of love’ and it has been ‘incredible’ to see how much he meant to everyone.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Depeche Mode said: ‘As you can imagine, it’s been a strange, sad, disorienting few weeks for us here, to say the least. But we’ve seen and felt all of your love and support, and we know that Andy’s family has too.
‘A couple weeks ago we received the result from the medical examiners, which Andy’s family asked us to share with you now.
‘Andy suffered an aortic dissection while at home on May 26. So, even though it was far, far too soon, he passed naturally and without prolonged suffering.’
The band said they had held a celebration of his life in London last week, describing it as a ‘beautiful ceremony and gathering with a few tears, but filled with the great memories of who Andy was, stories of all of our times together, and some good laughs’.
An aortic dissection is a condition in which a tear occurs in the inner layer of the aorta.
Depeche Mode’s keyboardist Andy Fletcher died after suffering an ‘aortic dissection’ at the age of 60, the band announced
Fletcher, nicknamed ‘Fletch’, founded the group in Basildon in 1980 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years ago. Above: Andy Fletcher during a recording of the ‘Later with Jools Holland’ TV programme in London on April 28, 2009
‘Andy was celebrated in a room full of many of his friends and family, our immediate DM family, and so many people who have touched Andy’s and our lives throughout the years,’ they said.
‘All being together was a very special way to remember Andy and see him off.
‘So thank you for all of the love you’ve shown Andy and his family and friends over the last few weeks. It honestly means the world to all of us. Andy, you’ll be missed, but certainly not forgotten.’
The statement was signed off by bandmates Martin Gore and Dave Gahan.
Pictured left to right: Fletcher, Dave Gahan, Alan Wilder and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode in 1987 during the height of their success
In a statement posted on Instagram , Depeche Mode said: ‘As you can imagine, it’s been a strange, sad, disorienting few weeks for us here, to say the least. But we’ve seen and felt all of your love and support, and we know that Andy’s family has too. ‘A couple weeks ago we received the result from the medical examiners, which Andy’s family asked us to share with you now. ‘Andy suffered an aortic dissection while at home on May 26. So, even though it was far, far too soon, he passed naturally and without prolonged suffering’
Fletcher was born in Nottingham and moved to Basildon as a young boy, where he formed the band that would become known as Depeche Mode with Gore and Vince Clarke.
While Clarke left in the early 1980s, Fletcher stayed with the group throughout its four-decade history, from its debut album Speak and Spell to 2017’s Spirit.
During this period, two of its albums reached Number 1 in the charts: Songs Of Faith and Devotion, and Ultra.
Despite their popularity, the band never had a No 1 single, though they reached No 4 across three separate decades with People Are People, Barrel Of A Gun and Precious.
Fletcher leaft behind a wife, Grainne, to whom he was married for almost 30 years, and two children, Megan and Joe.
Fletcher was often modest about his role in Depeche Mode compared to that of his fellow musicians, Gore, Alan Wilder and Dave Gahan.
In an interview for the 1989 documentary 101, he described their roles as: ‘Martin’s the songwriter, Alan’s the good musician, Dave’s the vocalist, and I bum around.’
Despite their popularity, the band never had a No.1 single, though they reached No.4 across three separate decades with People are People, Barrel of a Gun and Precious.
The band chose their name from French fashion magazine Depeche Mode, with frontman Gahan explaining: ‘It means hurried fashion or fashion dispatch. I like the sound of that.’
Depeche Mode played their first gig at school in 1980 and went on to make demo tapes, personally delivering them to record companies.
They eventually recorded their first single ‘Dreaming of Me’ in December 1980 for independent label Mute Records, whose founder Daniel Miller was interested in their unique electronic sound.
It reached number 57 in the UK charts. Buoyed by their early success, the band recorded a follow-up single, ‘New Life’, which made it to number 11 in the charts and landed their first appearance on Top of the Pops.
Memorably, the band travelled to the BBC studio in London by train, taking their synthesizers with them.
The band’s debut album ‘Speak and Spell’ opened with ‘New Life’ and closed with one of the band’s enduring hits, ‘Just Can’t Get Enough.’
(Left to right) Fletcher with Depeche Mode bandmates Dave Gahan and Martin Gore in Berlin on March 21, 2013
As one of the co-founders of Depeche Mode in 1980, Fletcher was behind a string of hits including ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’
Fletcher performing with Depeche Mode at the London Astoria on July 23, 1981
Clockwise from top left: Dave Gahan, Alan Wilder, Andrew Fletcher and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode in Berlin in July 1984
It was this third single, ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, that propelled the group to stardom and scored their first top ten hit.
Around this time, original synthesist Clarke left the band to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet, but Depeche Mode followed their 80s success with other hits, including ‘Enjoy the Silence’, ‘Strangelove’ and ‘Personal Jesus’.
The group would find international success with 1984’s ‘Some Great Reward’ and the single ‘People are People,’ and their prominence would only grow throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Fletcher would lend his keyboards to classic albums including ‘Music for the Masses,’ ‘Black Celebration’ and ‘Violator.’
The first of these led to a world tour that brought a live album, a documentary, and a legendary concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, that represented the pinnacle of the band’s prominence.
Fletcher (pictured in 1984) helped define the synth-pop genre of music as keyboardist of Depeche Mode
Musician Andrew Fletcher of Depeche Mode speaks onstage at the Convention Centre in Austin, Texas, in 2013
Andy Fletcher attends a private view of photographer Dave Benett’s new exhibition ‘Great Shot, Kid’ in London on February 16
A fan of Chelsea FC with a penchant for chess, Fletcher assumed a low-profile in the group. He did not sing or write songs, and his face never as familiar as those of his bandmates.
Fletcher handled many of the band’s business and media interests; and expanded his career in the 1990s by running a restaurant named Gascogne’s in St John’s Wood, North West London.
He admitted to suffering depression and endured a breakdown in 1994 after a series of bad investments, but he recovered to continue performing throughout the subsequent decades.
He started his own record label, Toast Hawaii, in 2002, releasing an album by the band CLIENT.
Fletcher would perform DJ sets at the band’s live shows, which he continued to do at festivals and clubs after he and CLIENT parted ways.
The band’s last studio album ‘Spirit’ came out in 2017.
In an interview with AFP ahead of its release, its members said they were proud to have attracted listeners of other genres, including rock fans who would have rarely stepped into a dance club.
‘One of our legacies is to make electronic music popular to the masses,’ Fletcher said.
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