ABBA Guitarist, Lasse Wellander, Dead At 70

Long-time ABBA guitarist, Lasse Wellander, has passed away at age 70 due to a battle with cancer. His loved ones shared the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, April 9th.

"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. You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather. Kind, safe, caring and loving... and so much more, that cannot be described in words. A hub in our lives, and it's unbelievable that we now have to live on without you. We love and miss you so much."

ABBA bandmates also took to social media to honor the legendary Swedish guitarist, mentioning the "immense" role that he played in the creative process of each project, and remembering his "sense of humor, smiling face, and musical brilliance."

Wellander, born on June 18th, 1952, did not join ABBA until 1974. He toured with the band for 5 years before going on to be an integral part in Chess, both Gemini albums, and both Mama Mia! movie soundtracks. The "Every Good Man" standout is also included in ABBA's latest album, Voyage. Throughout his musical career, Wellander was featured in 6,331 songs, and 1,698 albums that will forever stand the tests of time. Lasse, thank you for the music.