Depeche Mode co-founder Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher died of natural causes.
The keyboardist passed away last month aged 60, and the surviving members of the ‘Enjoy the Silence’ group, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, have thanked fans for the “outpouring of love” for the musician amid a “strange, sad, disorienting few weeks”.
They said in an Instagram post: “We wanted to take a moment and acknowledge the outpouring of love for Andy that we’ve seen from all of you over the last few weeks.
“It’s incredible to see all of your photos, to read your words, and to see how much Andy meant to all of you.
“As you can imagine, it’s been a strange, sad, disorienting few weeks for us here, to say the least.
“But we’ve seen and felt all of your love and support, and we know that Andy’s family has too.”
Confirming his cause of death, the pair revealed Andy suffered an aortic dissection, a tear in the large blood vessel of the heart, and “passed naturally” and peacefully.
They added: “A couple weeks ago we received the result from the medical examiners, which Andy’s family asked us to share with you now. Andy suffered an aortic dissection while at home on May 26. So, even though it was far, far too soon, he passed naturally and without prolonged suffering.”
Martin and Dave, both 60, also revealed they joined Andy’s close family and friends at a “beautiful” celebration of life in London last week.
They added: “We had a celebration of Andy’s life in London last week, which was a beautiful ceremony and gathering with a few tears, but filled with the great memories of who Andy was, stories of all of our times together, and some good laughs,” they wrote. “Andy was celebrated in a room full of many of his friends and family, our immediate DM family, and so many people who have touched Andy’s and our lives throughout the years. All being together was a very special way to remember Andy and see him off.”
The duo signed off the post: “So thank you for all of the love you’ve shown Andy and his family and friends over the last few weeks. It honestly means the world to all of us. Andy, you’ll be missed, but certainly not forgotten.”
In a joint statement announcing the shock news of Andy’s death, they wrote: “We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher.
“Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint.”
The synth-pop legends offered their “hearts” to the touring DJ’s family – including his widow Grainne Mullan and their two children, Meghan and Joe – and asked fans to “keep them in their thoughts” while giving them space to grieve.
They added: “Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.”
In a 2017 interview with The Skinny, Fletch mused it was the “electricity” between him and his bandmates that made their music so great.
He said: “Martin and Dave live in the US and I live here, but it doesn’t really affect our relationships. Me and Martin are very close. Dave is more like a brother to me – if that makes sense. But what makes bands better than solo artists is the electricity that’s generated. Sometimes a band can’t stand each other but that electricity makes for great music. It’s the same with Depeche Mode; we have moments where we don’t like each other, and moments when we love each other. It’s the electricity that’s generated between us all that produces the good music.”