HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy Fletcher has died at the age of 60, the band announced in a statement Thursday.
Fletcher is best known for being a founding member of the English electronic music band.
Depeche Mode released the following statement on their Twitter:
“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 has been revealed at this time.
The band’s origins date back to the late 1970s, according to Consequence of Sound, when Fletcher started to play music with future bandmate Vince Clarke.
The band was initially named Composition of Sound, but decided to rename the group, officially launching in 1980 as Depeche Mode after singer David Gahan stumbled across a French fashion magazine by the same name.
Depeche Mode is probably best known for its 1990 smash hit “Enjoy the Silence,” as well as “Personal Jesus,” “People are People” and “Policy of Truth.”
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.