By Germania Rodriguez For Dailymail.com
17:52 25 Apr 2024, updated 19:21 25 Apr 2024
- The keyboardist died on Wednesday in northern California, according to family
- The band’s original singer and guitar player Danny Laine died last year
Mike Pinder, the last original member of the Moody Blues, has died at the age of 82, according to his family.
The British keyboardist died on Wednesday in his northern California home, with the band and bassist John Lodge also confirming the news on Facebook.
‘All the love possible goes out from the Lodge family to Mike’s family today,’ The Moody Blues wrote. ‘RIP’
No cause of death has been provided.
The family statement’s read: ‘Michael’s family would like to share with his trusted friends and caring fans that he passed peacefully.
‘His final days were filled with music, encircled by the love of his family. Michael lived his life with a childlike wonder, walking a deeply introspective path which fused the mind and the heart.’
It comes after the band’s original singer and guitar player Danny Laine died in Naples, Florida, last year.
Laine’s widow Elizabeth reached to Pinder’s death on Instagram Wednesday.
‘Very sad news, the last of the original lineup of the Moody Blues has passed away,’ she wrote.
‘He is now reunited with Denny, Ray, Graeme and Clint; what a joyous reunion that must be.’
Pinder was one of the Moody Blues’ original members, joining Ray Thomas and Laine in 1964 to form the band.
They reached stardom with their version of Bessie Bank’s song, Go Now.
But the Moody Blues struggled to match their initial success, and by 1967 Laine had left, replaced by Justin Hayward.
The Moody Blues then turned to the ambitious, classically influenced sounds of ‘Nights in White Satin’ and other songs.
Pinder released a solo album in the mid-1970s titled The Promise.
After reuniting with the band in 1978 for a single album, Pinder moved to norther California with his family and worked in the tech industry, per Variety.
He did not return to music until 1994, when he released his second solo album.
Pinder was married to American Donna Roth from 1970 to 1974, and they had one son together named Daniel Elan.
He then married Tara Lee and the couple had two sons, Matt and Michael Lee.
The Moodys were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
