LONDON (AP) — John Lodge, the singer and bassist of British rock band The Moody Blues for greater than 50 years, has died. He was 82.
In an announcement Friday, his household mentioned “with the deepest unhappiness” that Lodge died “suddenly and unexpectedly.” It added that Lodge “peacefully slipped away surrounded by his loved ones and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.”
Birmingham-born Lodge joined the band in 1966, two years after its formation, together with fellow singer Justin Hayward, following the departure of Denny Laine and Clint Warwick. He remained with it till it stopped performing dwell in 2018.
Lodge featured on among the band’s best-known work, together with 1967’s psychedelic album “Days Of Future Passed,” which is widely regarded as one of rock’s first concept albums, and its follow-up a year later, “In Search Of The Lost Chord.”
Lodge additionally featured on the 1977 album “Octave,” which noticed The Moody Blues embrace a extra pop-oriented sound.
He continued to make information with the group till their last studio album in 2003, “December,” a set of Christmas songs.
The group continued to carry out dwell till 2018, the identical 12 months the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame.
“As John would all the time say on the finish of the present, thanks for maintaining the religion,” his household mentioned within the assertion.
Lodge is survived by his spouse Kirsten, whom he married in 1968. The couple had two youngsters, Emily and Kristian, with the previous being referred to on The Moody Blues track “Emily’s Song” from the 1971 album “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.”
Lodge was an Evangelical Christian, saying it helped him to keep away from the excesses of rock and roll.
