The keyboardist, a founding member of the British electronic band Depeche Mode, died at the age of 60 following an aortic dissection.
Tributes have been baid to Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy Fletcher who died aged 60Image: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
Advertisement
Depeche Mode co-founder Andy Fletcher's cause of death has been revealed by his bandmates.
The keyboardist and founding member of the multiplatinum British electronic music pioneers Depeche Mode died aged 60 on May 26 after suffering an aortic dissection in his home.
As requested by Fletcher's family, Depeche Mode bandmates Martin Gore and Dave Gahan disclosed the autopsy results, in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday.
"We wanted to take a moment and acknowledge the outpouring of love for Andy that we've seen from all of you over the last few weeks," their post opens. They add that even though his death came "far, far too soon, he passed naturally and without prolonged suffering."
An aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition, in which a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body's main artery.
Gore and Gahan also mention that a memorial service for Fletcher has since been held: "We had a celebration of Andy's life in London last week, which was a beautiful ceremony and gathering with a few tears, but filled with the great memories of who Andy was, stories of all of our times together, and some good laughs," they write.
'Fletch' helped define electro-pop music scene
Born in 1961 in Nottingham, England, Fletcher went on to help form the band that would become the giants of British electro-pop along with fellow synthesizer players Vince Clarke and Martin Gore, and lead singer Dave Gahan.
Advertisement
Depeche Mode's debut 1981 album "Speak & Spell" put them at the center of the British new wave scene, which spawned the hits "New Life" and "Just Can't Get Enough."
The band went on to sell more than 100 million albums, winning over a global audience with bestselling singles like "Personal Jesus," "People Are People" or "Enjoy The Silence."
The band's last studio album "Spirit" came out in 2017.
10 Depeche Mode covers by famous singers or bands
As Depeche Mode releases its 14th studio album, "Spirit," here's a look back at the bands and singers who've covered the cult group from the 80s.
Image: picture-alliance/Jazzarchiv
Depeche Mode
In the late 80s and early 90s, the British synthpop band offered the world a number of notable hits. Their sound has inspired musicians of all styles ever since. Here are 10 direct tributes to the influential band - some more memorable than others.
Image: picture-alliance/Jazzarchiv
Marilyn Manson
The first single on Depeche Mode's best known album, "Violator," was "Personal Jesus." The hit acquired new fame in the 2004 version covered by shock rocker Marilyn Manson. The cover sticks to the original tempo of the song, adding grungy guitar riffs and heavy drums.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/Invision/C.Skyes
Johnny Cash
In a completely different style, Johnny Cash recorded his own bluesy interpretation of "Personal Jesus" on the 2002 album "American IV." Depeche Mode's hit song was re-worked into an acoustic version by Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante for Johnny Cash.
Image: picture alliance/Globe-ZUMA
Nina Hagen
Notorious for provocative performances, rebelling against the East German regime and indulging in drugs, the German "Godmother of Punk" found her own personal Jesus late in life: Nina Hagen was baptized in 2009. She spread her newfound love for God in her music, releasing her album "Personal Jesus" in 2010 - which of course included the famous Depeche Mode song.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. v. Jutrczenka
Tori Amos
The American pianist and singer Tori Amos also regularly included a cover of "Personal Jesus" during her "Summer of Sin" tour in 2005, adding a lot of piano notes to the original. She also recorded another of Depeche Mode's "Violator" hits, "Enjoy the Silence," on "Strange Little Girls" - each track of this concept album was a cover of a song originally performed by men.
Image: picture alliance/Jazzarchiv
Susan Boyle
The Scottish singer who grabbed the world's attention as a contestant on "Britain's Got Talent" in 2009 also covered "Enjoy the Silence" on her 2011 album "Someone to Watch Over Me." Boyle's sugarcoated sentimental version of the song is stripped of all traces of the goth dance beats that made the original a hit.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/A. Matrin
The Cure
The fourth and final single for the album "Violator" was "World in My Eyes." The Cure, another pioneering band known for its dark, tormented music, chose this song as their contribution to the Depeche Mode tribute album "For the Masses," released in 1998.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/EFE
Rammstein
Depeche Mode's single "Stripped," from the 1986 album "Black Celebration," featured innovative samples. In their own Neue Deutsche Härte style, the German provocative rockers Rammstein served up an interesting cover version. The video controversially included images from Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film "Olympia" - but the band distanced itself from the filmmaker's politics.
Image: Bryan Adams
Placebo
The Depeche Mode song "I Feel You" was a track from their 1993 album "Songs of Faith and Devotion." More rock-oriented than previous songs, it was the band's highest-charting hit worldwide. The English alternative rock band Placebo covered it, initially releasing it for members of their fan club only and, in 2003, including it on "Sleeping with Ghosts."
Image: J. Llanes
Tangerine Dream
German electronic music group Tangerine Dream covered Depeche Mode's single "Precious" from the album "Playing the Angel" (2005). The krautrock collective may have developed pioneering sounds in the mid-1970s, but their cover of this song didn't add much to the original.
Image: picture alliance/Jazzarchiv
The Smashing Pumpkins
The single "Never Let Me Down Again" was a particularly strong hit in West Germany in 1987 and remains a favorite among fans. The Smashing Pumpkin's melancholy rendition of the hopeful song perfectly captures the spirit of teenage turmoil. Depeche Mode's singer Dave Gahan even said he thought it was "a lot better" than the original.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/M. Nauta
11 images1 | 11
A fan of the English soccer team Chelsea FC with a penchant for chess, Fletcher kept a low profile and did not sing or write songs. His face was never as familiar as those of his bandmates.
Along with other Depeche Mode members, Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
He remained with the group until his death, though he missed part of their 1994 tour due to a reported mental health struggles.
Fletcher even started his own record label, Toast Hawaii, in 2002, releasing an album by the band CLIENT and would perform DJ sets at the new band's live shows.
Fletcher leaves behind a wife and two children. His death means Gahan and Gore are now the only permanent members of Depeche Mode.
mm/rs (AFP, AP, Reuters)
Update: first published on May 27, this article was updated with Andy Fletcher's cause of death on June 29, 2022.
