Lasse Wellander, ABBA’s longtime guitarist, has away following a brief fight with illness, according to his family.
The Swedish pop duo praised a “close buddy, a pleasant man, and a fantastic guitarist” and referred to Wellander’s ability as “immense.”
“We must inform you with unspeakable regret that our dear Lasse has passed away. Lasse recently had a condition that was later determined to be spread cancer, and he died early on Good Friday while being accompanied by his loved ones, Lasse Wellander according to a message on the guitarist’s Facebook page on Sunday.
Lasse Wellander, ABBA’s longtime guitarist
The statement said, “You were a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandpa. You were also an excellent musician and humble as few.”
Nice, safe, considerate, and loving… … so much more—so much more than words can adequately convey. It’s unfathomable that we now have to survive without you because you were a central part of our life.
ABBA sent a statement to on Monday, describing Lasse as “a beloved friend, a delightful man, and a fantastic guitarist.”
“His innovative participation in the recording studio and rock-solid stage guitar play were of the utmost significance.
We recall the warm comments, sense of humour, smiling smile, and musical genius of the man who played such Lasse Wellander a significant part in the ABBA tale while we mourn his untimely and premature passing. He is greatly missed and will never be forgotten.
Born in 1952, Wellander recorded the songs “Intermezzo No.1” and “Crazy World” at his first session with the Swedish musical group ABBA in October 1974. According to the band’s website, he quickly rose to the position of lead guitarist for the group’s albums and went on tours with them in 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1980.
Even when Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus split up in 1982, Wellander remained and continued to collaborate with Benny and Björn.
The concept album “Chess,” two “Gemini” albums, the soundtracks to the movies “Mamma Mia!” and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” as well as the ABBA album “Voyage,” which was published in November 2021, all included his vocals.
According to the biography on his official website Lasse Wellanderwas a member of a number of bands throughout the 1980s, including Low Budget Blues Band, Zkiffz, Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band, and Stockholm All Stars.
According to his biography on the ABBA website, Lasse Wellander, a well-known artist in his own right, published seven studio albums, two of which reached the Top 40 album rankings.
He was given the Albin Hagström Memorial Prize by The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2005, and 13 years later, for his session work, he was honoured with the coveted Studioräven Award by the Swedish Musicians Union.