Andy Fletcher, keyboardist and founding member of Depeche Mode, has died.
The band said in a statement on social media,
We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher. Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint…
Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.”
No cause of death was given.
Depeche Mode was founded by Fletcher, Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Vince Clarke in 1980. Fletcher was a member for more than 40 years and appeared on all 14 studio albums, from their 1981 debut Speak & Spell to 2017’s Spirit.
Tributes to Fletcher began to pour after the band’s announcement of his death. The band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, OMD, tweeted they
will be touched by a great sadness as all of us say farewell to Andy Fletcher from Depeche Mode. A beautiful person in an amazing band.”
Andy Fletcher was 60.
— Depeche Mode (@depechemode) May 26, 2022
Enjoy the Silence.
Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can’t you understand?
Oh, my little girlAll I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harmVows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable
(Photo, Instagram; via CNN)
