ABBA’s long-serving guitarist Lasse Wellander dies at 70

Members of the pop supergroup have paid tribute to their “dear friend” and the band’s long-time guitarist, Lasse Wellander, who lost his battle with cancer.

The members of ABBA have paid tribute to the “musical brilliance” of their long-time guitarist Lasse Wellander after his family shared the news of his death from cancer.

Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad shared a photo of the musician on stage with them on their social media as they mourned his “tragic and premature death.”

“Lasse was a dear friend, a fun guy and a superb guitarist,” the Swedish pop superstars said in their statement.

“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.”

Lasse Wellander, ABBA's touring guitarist performs on stage at the Wembley Arena, London on November 5th, 1979. Picture: Gus Stewart/Redferns

The musician, who joined the Swedish pop supergroup’s band in 1974, played on ABBA’s wildly successful reunion album Voyage, released in November 2021.

Wellander was an integral member of the Swedish Fab Four’s touring and studio crew of musicians, joining them in October 1974 for the sessions for the songs Intermezzo No. 1 and Crazy World which made the cut for their self-titled third record.

He would become their lead guitarist on their subsequent tours in 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1980, a familiar face behind the stars Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

Wellander was playing in his own blues rock band Nature when ABBA’s songwriting duo Ulvaeus and Andersson were on the hunt for studio musicians and approached him to record with them after watching him perform in a Stockholm club.

“I thought it would be big, quite early on. Strong songs all the way. Even the simple pop numbers were very high quality,” he told Guitar magazine of his early studio sessions.

“One of the first tracks I recorded with them was Knowing Me, Knowing You. I think that’s still one of the better songs throughout the years.”

ABBA drafted Wellander to join their studio sessions and then tour the world. Picture: AFP.

While the band members weren’t mobbed like the Fab Four, Wellander witnessed in the fan hysteria which greeted the Swedish band when they toured here in 1977, describing it as being like Beatlemania.

“I played on everything from ’75 onwards. And yes, it was (like Beatlemania). Especially

in Australia and Japan. It was hysterical, just like when The Beatles came to New York or something!” he said.

After ABBA disbanded in 1982, Wellander continued to work with its stars.

He played on the recordings for the Chess musical created by Andersson and Ulvaeus with the legendary English lyricist Tim Rice and also on Faltskog’s solo records.

Wellander performed with the band during ABBA mania in Australia in 1977. Picture: NCA.

The guitarist was also drafted to work on the soundtracks for the Mamma Mia movies and continued to record and release his own works.

Wellander’s family shared the sad news of Wellander’s death with fans via his Facebook page.

“It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep. Lasse recently fell ill in what turned out to be spread cancer and early on Good Friday he passed away, surrounded by his loved ones,” they wrote.

“You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather. Kind, safe, caring and loving … and so much more, that cannot be described in words. A hub in our lives, and it’s unbelievable that we now have to live on without you.”

Originally published as ABBA’s long-serving guitarist Lasse Wellander dies at 70