Lasse Wellander was an integral part of the Swedish supergroup ABBA, although not many may recognize him, he was the backbone of the group.
He was ABBA's guitarist who played on their biggest albums, like "Voyage" and toured with them between 1975 and 1980.
According to reports, the guitarist died on Apr 7 due to cancer. Wellander's death hit the four-membered group hard, as he had not only been their longtime guitarist, but a good friend as well.
"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," read the tribute ABBA shared on their Instagram.
"We mourn his tragic and premature death and remember the kind words, the sense of humour, 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."
Backbone
Although Wellander was not as well known as the other ABBA members like Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, and Frida (Anni-Frid) Lyngstad, he was every bit as important and integral to the group's success.
Long after ABBA's heyday, the guitarist remained in touch. He was a good friend of the group, and he also proved to be a steadfast collaborator.
He worked on the soundtracks for "Mamma Mia!" and the sequel "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."
He has been with ABBA since October 1974. He initially joined them for a recording session, but eventually became part of the touring band.
ABBA had nothing but great things to say about the guitarist: "You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather."
"A hub in our lives, and it's unbelievable we now have to live on without you."
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Wellander Bio
According to reports, Wellander hailed from Skrikarhyttan in Sweden, and he had dedicated his life to music.
Billboard notes that he has been in several bands and played for other music arts throughout the years like the Peps & Blues Quality, Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band, Stockholm All Stars, Low Budget Blues Band, and the Vikings.
The last time he worked with ABBA, for their "Voyage" album, Wellander reminisced about the old days.
"When I was doing my guitar tracks it felt like the old days. The only difference was that there was some pre-production this time around, which is very usual nowadays."
"The girls' voices sound as great as ever. They are a bit lower, of course, as everybody gets lower by the years, but they sure still have their great voices. No doubt about that!" He said.
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