Depeche Mode co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher has died at the age of 60, according to a post on the legendary U.K. band’s Twitter account. No cause of death has been revealed.
“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,” they wrote. “Our hearts are with his family.”
The roots of Depeche Mode date back to the late 1970s, when Fletcher and friend Vince Clarke played in a band called No Romance In China. They eventually drafted Martin Gore and created a new group, Composition Of Sound, before vocalist Dave Gahan joined and the name Depeche Mode was adopted. Clarke famously exited Depeche Mode following the 1981 release of its debut album, Speak & Spell, first to join Yaz and later Erasure.
Fletcher has been with Depeche Mode ever since, although he was never heavily involved in the group’s songwriting. He did, however, take a key role in Depeche Mode’s off-stage matters, especially during period when the group did not have a full-time manager. Depeche Mode’s most recent album was 2017’s Spirit. The group last performed live on July 25, 2018, in Berlin.
In the early 2000s, Fletcher ran his own imprint, Toast Hawaii, through longtime Depeche Mode label Mute. He also toured frequently as a DJ, during which he’d pepper his sets with Depeche Mode remixes.
Fletcher is survived by his wife and two children.
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