Andrew Fletcher, the keyboardist and founding member of Depeche Mode, passed away at the age of 60.

“We are horrified and overcome with great sadness with the sudden death of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher,” the band wrote in a statement released on social media.

Enjoy The Silence, Personal Jesus, and Just Can’t Get Enough are among the band’s 17 UK Top 10 albums and international chart success.

“Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a vibrant discussion, a good laugh, or a cold pint,” the band continued in their statement.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy.”

Fletcher was born in Nottingham in 1961 and relocated to Basildon in the late 1970s when he created the band Composition Of Sound with Martin Gore and Vince Clarke.

They changed their name to Depeche Mode after hiring singer Dave Gahan, and the group went on to have a string of early 1980s chart smashes.

Also with the exit of Clarke, who went on to establish Yazoo and later Erasure, Gore took over as principal songwriter, and the band’s music took a darker, more gothic turn with the inclusion of Alan Wilder.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, they experienced tremendous international success.

How Many Children Does Andy Fletcher Have?

Andy Fletcher was the Father of two children. A son Joe Fletcher and a daughter Megan Fletcher.