Quantcast
HITS Daily Double

ANDY FLETCHER,
1941-2022

Tributes have been pouring in to honor Depeche Mode co-founder Andy Fletcher, who died Thursday at his home in the U.K.

“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,” Depeche Mode said in a joint statement.

“Andy Fletcher was the heart of Depeche Mode,” said SiriusXM host Michael Pagnotta, who handled the band’s PR in the 1990s. “A true believer in the band and their music. His keen musical and business instincts helped Depeche become one of the most popular and influential bands of their generation and helped carry them all the way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Not bad for a boy from Basildon.”

Fletcher, Vince Clarke and Martin Gore, all of whom played synthesizer, and singer Dave Gahan formed Depeche Mode in 1980, releasing their first album, Speak & Spell, in 1981. Alan Wilder replaced Clarke on synthesizer and Gore took over as the outfit's main songwriter as they darkened their sound and became the standard-bearer for synth-based alt rock.