John Lodge, the singer and bassist from legendary rock group the Moody Blues, has died aged 82.
His family confirmed the news, announcing he was ‘suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us’.
Moody Blues formed in Birmingham in 1964, with Go Now breaking through as their first number one single.
Lodge joined two years later, remaining with the group throughout their many decades of success, which led to them being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A statement from the family said: ‘It is with the deepest sadness that we have to announce that John Lodge, our darling husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law and brother, has been suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us.
‘As anyone who knew this massive-hearted man knows, it was his enduring love of his wife, Kirsten, and his family, that was the most important thing to him, followed by his passion for music, and his faith.’
They added: ‘John peacefully slipped away surrounded by his loved ones and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.
‘We will forever miss his love, smile, kindness and his absolute and never-ending support.
‘We are heartbroken, but will walk forwards into peace surrounded by the love he had for each of us.
‘As John would always say at the end of the show, thank you for keeping the faith.’
Lodge’s death comes a year after the loss of founding member and keyboardist Mike Pinder, also aged 82.
At the time, the bassist said: ‘Michael lived his life with a childlike wonder, walking a deeply introspective path which fused the mind and the heart.’
Other Moody Blues bandmates, Graeme Edge, Denny Laine, and Ray Thomas, have also died in recent years.
Moody Blues were hugely influential in the psychedelic rock genre, with Lodge’s songwriting spawning huge hits such as Peak Hour and Isn’t Life Strange.
In 2015, the singer spoke about how much the band meant to him in an interview with UK Music Reviews.
He shared: ‘First and foremost, I am John Lodge of The Moody Blues, which is who I am. All of my songwriting was centred through The Moody Blues, so every time that I was writing songs we were making a new album.
‘It was just perfect for me, in that I could write a song, record it with the Moody’s and there it was on The Moody Blues album. I never felt the need to actually change from being a Moody Blue and doing any solo recording.’
Lodge did release solo work after the band stopped recording new music together, which included four solo albums and an EP.
His final EP, Love Conquers All, was released on Valentine’s Day earlier this year.
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