Andrew Fletcher, known as “Fletch”, musician and founding member of the alternative rock group Depeche Mode died at the age of 60, the group announced on Twitter on Thursday, without specifying the reasons for his death.
“We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness at the untimely passing of our dear friend, family and band member, Andy Fletch Fletcher,” wrote Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. ” Fletch had a heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh or a cold pint,” they added.
“Our hearts are with his family and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy,” the members of the British group from Essex concluded in their message.
Born in Nottingham, England, Andrew Fletcher was one of the band’s keyboardists and co-founded Depeche Mode with Vince Clarke (who has since left the band) in the late 1970s (the band s then called “Composition of Sound”). Completely formed in 1980, Depeche Mode will experience their first successes in Europe the following year with their title “Just Can’t Get Enough” and in the United States in 1984-1985 with the single “People are People”, then in the years 1990 with “Personal Jesus”.