Longtime ABBA guitarist Lasse Wellander dies at age 70

WASHINGTON (TND) — Lasse Wellander, the musician who served as the lead guitarist of the band backing Swedish pop supergroup ABBA for nearly five decades, has died. He was 70 years old, according to Billboard.

Wellander, who was born in 1952, died Friday after a short battle with cancer, according to a statement posted by his family on the guitarist's 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,” his family said in the statement.

“You were an amazing musician and humble as few, but above all you were a wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather,” the statement adds.

“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.”

ABBA also confirmed Wellander's death in a statement Monday. The group later took to Instagram to praise their musical partner, who began recording with the vocal-pop quartet in 1974 with their songs "Intermezzo No. 1" and "Crazy World."

"Lasse was a dear friend, a fun guy and a superb guitarist," the four members – Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – wrote.

The importance of his creative input in the recordinging 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 humor, the smiling face, the musical brilliance of the man who played such an integral roll in the ABBA story.

Wellander is credited as a musician on virtually all of ABBA's recordings made during the group's original run between 1972 and 1982 (from 1974 onwards) as well as performing on the tours of that era. CNN notes that even after the band folded, he continued his creative partnership with Andersson and Ulvaeus.

He also performed on numerous other Swedish rock and pop recordings both during the 1970s and beyond.

He was recognized by his country for his contributions to music twice: he received the Albin Hagström Memorial Award from The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2005 and the Swedish Musicians Union’s prestigious special prize Studioräven Award in 2018 for his length career as a session player.