Electric Light Orchestra keyboardist Richard Tandy has sadly passed away aged 76.
Frontman of the band Jeff Lynne has been left heartbroken and posted an emotional tribute to his bandmate on Facebook on Wednesday (May 1). He wrote: “It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my long-time collaborator and dear friend Richard Tandy.
“He was a remarkable musician & friend and I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together. Sending all my love to Sheila & the Tandy Family.”
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Tandy joined ELO as a bass guitarist back in 1972 before becoming the band’s full-time keyboard player. He and singer Jeff were very close and reunited in 2014 for a live set of ELO’s greatest hits at London’s Hyde Park.
Tandy was born in Birmingham and classmates with fellow ELO member Bev Bevan. He was a key part of the band’s sound until they disbanded in 1986, and was the only original member of the line-up to rejoin ELO when they reformed in the noughties.
In 2017, he was entered into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of the chart-topping band, with hits like Mr. Blue Sky (1977) and Evil Woman (1975). The band announced a farewell tour – dubbed The Over and Out tour – last month.
(Image: Birmingham Post)
It is due to span 27 dates, kicking off in August in Palm Desert, California, and finishes in Los Angeles. However, it is currently unknown whether or not it will go ahead.
The rockstar is survived by his second wife Sheila and was said to be living in Wales before his passing. Lynne brought the band back for more tours after the success of the Hyde Park show, but Tandy missed the tours for unknown reasons.
Speaking about the show with Rolling Stone in 2016, Lynne said: “I had all these negative thoughts before agreeing to play Hyde Park, but the crowd just went bananas all the way through. They loved every minute of it. It was the best show I’d ever been involved with up until that point.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
