ABBA guitarist dies

Lasse Wellander, known for being the long-time guitarist for Swedish supergroup ABBA and recording some of the band’s most famous songs, has passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of 70. 

The news was announced by Wellander's family on his Facebook page on Sunday. “It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep. Lasse recently fell ill in what turned out to be spread cancer and early on Good Friday he passed away, surrounded by his loved ones,” the message read. 

“You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather,” the letter added. 

ABBA also released a statement on Instagram, writing that “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, the musical brilliance of the man who played such an integral role in the ABBA story,” the band said. 

Wellander joined ABBA in 1975 and played lead guitar on 24 songs, including ‘Take a Chance on Me’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’, ‘Voulez-Vous’ and ‘The Name of the Game’. He toured with the group for many years and continued playing with some of the members after the band split up in 1982. He also released several solo albums, mainly instrumental. In 2016, when ABBA decided to reunite, Wellander was also called back to help record the band’s ninth and final album ‘Voyage’, released in 2021. 

He also helped create the soundtrack for the 2008 film adaptation of the long-running jukebox musical ‘Mamma Mia!’ as well as its sequel ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’. He received the Albin Hagström Memorial Award from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2005 and in 2018 was honored with the Swedish Musicians Union’s Studioraven Award for his work as a session musician.