Keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder, a founding member of The Moody Blues, died Wednesday. He was 82.
The news was announced by Pinder's band mate, bassist/vocalist John Lodge, Thursday in a post on Facebook.
"Mike's family have asked us to share the message below with you all... All the love possible goes out from the Lodge family to Mike's family today... RIP," Lodge wrote as an intro to the tribute from Pinder's family.
"Mike Pinder - Musician, Father, Cosmic Philosopher & Friend," the message begins. "Michael Thomas Pinder died on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024 at his home in Northern California, surrounded by his devoted family. Michael's family would like to share with his trusted friends and caring fans that he passed peacefully. His final days were filled with music, encircled by the love of his family. Michael lived his life with a childlike wonder, walking a deeply introspective path which fused the mind and the heart."
"He created his music and the message he shared with the world from this spiritually grounded place; as he always said, 'Keep your head above the clouds, but keep your feet on the ground.' His authentic essence lifted up everyone who came into contact with him. His lyrics, philosophy, and vision of humanity and our place in the cosmos will touch generations to come."
Pinder was part of The Moody Blues for much of their storied career, including the band's 2018 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, he was the only member of the quintet on stage to receive the honor that did not speak, which some assumed was his protest against the Rock Hall for snubbing the band in previous years.
He addressed the situation in a message on his website, that said in part, "Many MB fans have asked why I did not speak at the induction but by the time the Moodies took the stage we were five hours into the ceremony," he wrote. "The oldest of the inductees were up the latest. The speeches were a bit anti-climactic at that point and it was only fitting that the current touring members ([Graeme] Edge, [Justin] Hayward and [John] Lodge) spoke first. I am happy that we finally got inducted for our fans' sake. As I have said for the last 30 years 'the fans are my hall of fame.'"
Pinder was part of the band's original lineup that formed in 1964 with singer/songwriter/flautist Ray Thomas, singer/guitarist Denny Laine, singer/bassist Clint Warwick and drummer Graeme Edge. A year later, the band scored their first British No. 1 with "Go Now" (a song Laine would reprise a decade later as a member of Paul McCartney & Wings.)
The band's first album, The Magnificent Moodies, which was retitled Go Now for the American release, included Pinder's lead vocal on a cover of James Brown's "I Don't Mind."
The band experienced their greatest success with the classic lineup that featured guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward and bassist/vocalist John Lodge replacing Laine and Warwick.
During Pinder's tenure with the band, they scored several album-rock hits including such classics as "Nights in White Satin," "Tuesday Afternoon," "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" and others.
Pinder was also onboard when the Moodies' scored their first U.S. chart-topping album, Seventh Sojourn, which became a hit in December 1972 thanks to the belated airplay of the five-year-old epic "Nights in White Satin," which was featured on the band's 1967 album, Days of Future Passed.
In an interview for The Billboard Book of Number One Albums, Hayward said that despite the success, the months leading up to the hit album were difficult. "It was quite a traumatic time for the group," he said. "We were going through a lot of personal anxiety and that's reflected in the material."
The album, recorded at Pinder's home studio, featured the keyboardist opting for a different instrument and sound. "We dumped the mellotron and discovered an instrument called the Chamberlin, which gave us a much better orchestral sound," Hayward said.
Despite the success of Seventh Sojourn, The Moody Blues went on hiatus soon after and when the group reformed for 1978's Voyager, Pinder was replaced by former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz.
Apart from the Moodies, Pinder released two solo albums, 1976's The Promise and 1994's Among the Stars and worked as a consultant for Atari.
Pinder also played on John Lennon's Imagine album, on the songs "Jealous Guy" and "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier (I Don't Wanna Die)," but he opted for tambourine because Lennon's mellotron looked like "a bowl of spaghetti," Pinder said.
