ABBA Guitarist Lasse Wellander Dies at Age 70
via E! News / Youtube
Lasse Wellander, ABBA’s guitarist, passed away on Friday at the age of 70 after battling cancer.
ABBA posted the sad news on their Facebook account. The statement reads:
“Lasse was a dear friend, a fun guy, and a superb guitarist. The importance of his creative input in the recording studio, as well as his rock-solid guitar work on stage, was immense. We mourn his tragic and premature death and remember the kind words, the sense of humor, the smiling face, and the musical brilliance of the man who played such an integral role in the ABBA story. He will be deeply missed and never forgotten.”
Wellander first worked with ABBA as a session musician on their self-titled 1975 album. Later on, he became the main guitarist on their subsequent LPs between 1975 and 1980. His contributions can be heard in classics such as “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Thank You for the Music,” and “The Winner Takes It All.”
The guitarist also played on the soundtracks for the 2008 film Mamma Mia and its 2018 sequel. In 2021, he reunited with ABBA to play on their comeback album Voyage. Before the record was released, Wellander told the Sunday Express:
“I played with many different groups and artists, but working with Abba was of course always a bit special.
“It is a real honour and a privilege for me to be involved with them again.”
Although he played with the legendary quartet for most of his career, Wellander also worked with Björn and Benny on their 1984 album Chess and appeared on two of Agnetha Fältskog’s solo albums.
