{"id":627900,"date":"2023-04-10T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T21:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/10\/lasse-wellander-guitarist-for-swedish-pop-icons-abba-dies-at-70\/"},"modified":"2023-04-10T16:20:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T21:20:00","slug":"lasse-wellander-guitarist-for-swedish-pop-icons-abba-dies-at-70","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/10\/lasse-wellander-guitarist-for-swedish-pop-icons-abba-dies-at-70\/","title":{"rendered":"Lasse Wellander, guitarist for Swedish pop icons ABBA, dies at 70"},"content":{"rendered":"<article aria-label=\"article\" data-id=\"cRhjFif7X5TC76JVpEA2NX\">\n<header>\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\" aria-label=\"Return to Home\">Home<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\" aria-label=\"Return to News\">News<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n<div>\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" alt=\"Lasse Wellander performs with ABBA at Wembley Arena in London on November 5, 1979\" onerror=\"if(this.src &#038;&#038; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\"   data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\"><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" alt=\"Lasse Wellander performs with ABBA at Wembley Arena in London on November 5, 1979\" onerror=\"if(this.src &#038;&#038; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\"   data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe-320-80.jpg\" alt=\"Lasse Wellander performs with ABBA at Wembley Arena in London on November 5, 1979\" onerror=\"if(this.src &#038;&#038; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\"   data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\"><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n<p><meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MgXQXjsK3EQxGyqMdSfnEe.jpg\"><br \/>\n<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"600\"><br \/>\n<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"338\"><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\">\n<span itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Gus Stewart\/Redferns)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p>Lasse Wellander, stage and studio guitarist for legendary Swedish pop combo ABBA, has died at the age of 70, the group confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Wellander <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/lasse-wellander-dead-abba-guitarist-dies-obituary-1235300239\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/music-news\/lasse-wellander-dead-abba-guitarist-dies-obituary-1235300239\/\" rel=\"noopener\">passed away<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> last Friday (April 7), after a short battle with cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLasse was a dear friend, a fun guy and a superb guitarist,&#8221; ABBA wrote in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ABBA\/posts\/pfbid0iyeK3pSW1gwAWUPcsQWTTMWCJKvpfqj7gAWGc1gNRvdzmt2mmbBTN83UXw8kHWZNl\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ABBA\/posts\/pfbid0iyeK3pSW1gwAWUPcsQWTTMWCJKvpfqj7gAWGc1gNRvdzmt2mmbBTN83UXw8kHWZNl\" rel=\"noopener\">a statement posted to their social media pages today<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> (April 10). &#8220;The importance of his creative input in the recording studio as well as his rock solid guitar work on stage was immense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe mourn his tragic and premature death and remember the kind words, the sense of humor, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though never an official member of the band per se, Wellander was a key part of ABBA&#8217;s sonic equation from shortly after their inception through to their breakup in 1982. He later reunited with the band in the studio to play on their 2021 comeback album, <em>Voyage<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet>\n<p><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"high\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pAzEY1MfXrQ\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Born in 1952, Wellander grew up in the village of Skrekarhyttan. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellander.se\/biografi\/#nora\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.verywellander.se\/biografi\/#nora\" rel=\"noopener\">Inspired by<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> The Beatles&#8217; appearance on the Swedish show, <em>Drop In<\/em>, Wellander first picked up the guitar in 1963, and cut his teeth with a number of local pop, rock, and, later, blues groups.<\/p>\n<p>By 1969, Wellander had become an in-demand session guitarist in his native country, a line of work that also made him a first-call choice for pop stars looking to assemble a live band. It was his onstage performances with Swedish singer Ted G\u00e4rdestad that brought Wellander to the notice of ABBA&#8217;s Benny Andersson and Bj\u00f6rn Ulvaeus.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Bj\u00f6rn and Benny were very involved in Ted\u2019s career, and they had heard our band play in a club in Stockholm called Alexandra\u2019s,&#8221; Wellander <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/features\/lasse-wellander-abba-voyage-guitarist\">told <em>Guitar World <\/em>in a 2022 interview<\/a>. &#8220;They liked what and how we played, even if our own music was very different from Ted\u2019s.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Then they came to a rehearsal sometime in \u201974 and asked me if I wanted to do an ABBA session. If I remember rightly it was <em>Intermezzo No. 1<\/em>, <em>Tiger<\/em>, and two or three other numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet>\n<p><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2YqiPanH5oQ\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>From then on, Wellander became an integral part of the &#8220;core&#8221; of studio aces who played on ABBA&#8217;s remarkable string of hit singles from the mid-&#8217;70s through to the early &#8217;80s.<\/p>\n<p>Though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/features\/lasse-wellander-abba-voyage-guitarist\">he used<\/a> a \u201957 Les Paul Goldtop on some of ABBA&#8217;s early hits, Wellander later moved to a \u201962 Strat and, occasionally, a Gibson ES-175.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He was also able to bring a surprising amount of his tougher-edged rock side to ABBA&#8217;s live performances, making the group&#8217;s laboratory-like, ever-radio-friendly hits just a tad looser live.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you listen to the\u00a0<em>Live At Wembley Arena<\/em>\u00a0album, for example, it was much looser than on the records,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/features\/lasse-wellander-abba-voyage-guitarist\">Wellander explained to <em>Guitar World<\/em><\/a>. &#8220;Of course, we played the things that belonged to the song, but there were parts where it was much looser. It sounded rockier live than on the record, and there were some solos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Eagle<\/em>, Wellander told <em>Guitar World<\/em>, was his favorite ABBA song to play live.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I liked\u00a0<em>Eagle<\/em>\u00a0because I had a long guitar solo in that song,&#8221; he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/features\/lasse-wellander-abba-voyage-guitarist\">said<\/a>. &#8220;I enjoyed it all, actually, but I\u00a0looked forward a bit more to that number. It was amazing being out on the road. We played six days at Wembley Arena, full house.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet>\n<p><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sG9Xo9hljhM\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Even during ABBA&#8217;s reign, and especially following their dissolution, Wellander remained an active session player, eventually racking up \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellander.se\/biografi\/#nora\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.verywellander.se\/biografi\/#nora\" rel=\"noopener\">according to him<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> \u2013 over 6,000 session credits, spread across 1,698 different albums.<\/p>\n<p>The guitarist also released a number of solo albums, the most recent of which was <em>Lasse Wellander 2017\/2018<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/04\/10\/entertainment\/lasse-wellander-abba-dies-intl-scli\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/04\/10\/entertainment\/lasse-wellander-abba-dies-intl-scli\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Wellander received<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> the Albin Hagstr\u00f6m Memorial Award from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2005 and the Swedish Musicians Union\u2019s prestigious Studior\u00e4ven Award in 2018, for his extensive session discography. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/guitarworld\/media\/img\/GW_logo.svg\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span>Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Join now for unlimited access<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>UK pricing \u00a32.99 per month or \u00a329.00 per year\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Europe pricing \u20ac3.49 per month or \u20ac34.00 per year<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/guitarworld\/media\/img\/GW_logo.svg\">\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span>Join now for unlimited access<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Prices from \u00a32.99\/$3.99\/\u20ac3.49<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" data-reactroot id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent\">\n<section>\n<p>We\u2019d love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div data-reactroot id=\"slice-container-authorBio\">\n<p>Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He\u2019s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/author\/jackson-maxwell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Guitar Player<\/em><\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span>. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Louder<\/em><\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> and <a href=\"https:\/\/unrecordedmu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Unrecorded<\/em><\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span>. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div data-reactroot id=\"slice-container-relatedArticles\">\n<p><h5>Most Popular<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\/lasse-wellander-abba-guitarist-dies\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Erasmo Schewe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News (Image credit: Gus Stewart\/Redferns) Lasse Wellander, stage and studio guitarist for legendary Swedish pop combo ABBA, has died at the age of 70, the group confirmed. Wellander passed away (opens in new tab) last Friday (April 7), after a short battle with cancer.\u00a0 \u201cLasse was a dear friend, a fun guy and a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":627901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[534,121393,121394],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-627900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-financial","category-lasse","category-wellander"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/627901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}