ABBA have paid tribute to their long-standing guitarist Lasse Wellander following his death aged 70.
The band described the musician as a “dear friend, a fun guy and a superb guitarist” who will be “deeply missed”.
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In a statement, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad added: “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 humour, the smiling face, the musical brilliance of the man who played such an integral role in the Abba story.
“He will be deeply missed and never forgotten.”
Wellander, who played on a total of 24 of ABBA’s recordings, died on Good Friday after being diagnosed with cancer.
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The musician taught himself to play guitar as a child in his hometown of Nora, Sweden.
In October 1974, he began recording with ABBA and featured on some of their top hits, including Dancing Queen, Super Trouper and The Winner Takes It All.
He played on all eight of their albums and also toured with the group to sold-out crowds around the world.
In 2007, Wellander worked on the soundtrack for the Mamma Mia! movie, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried.
More recently, in 2021, ABBA released a new album, Voyager, featuring 10 new tracks which Wellander had a hand in creating.
The band’s shock reunion included all of the legendary foursome.
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