Electric Light Orchestra founding member Richard Tandy dies at 76-Brooke Ivey Johnson-Entertainment – Metro

Richard Tandy (right) has died at the age of 76 (Picture: Getty Images)

Richard Tandy, the keyboardist for the iconic band Electric Light Orchestra, has died at 76 years old.

The band’s front man Jeff Lynne announced the news on Facebook, writing: ‘He was a remarkable musician & friend and I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together.’

Tandy was born in Birmingham in 1948 and founded Electric Light Orchestra with Bev Bevan in 1970.

The pair recruited eventual bandleader Jeff Lynne the same year and began to shape their now distinctive sound.

Tandy first performed with the group as the bassist and later as the keyboardist and is often credited with being the primary force behind the band’s success.

Tandy was also responsible for the trademark synthesizer sound that was integral to the band’s music until they split up in 1986.

Lynne eventually reformed the band in the 2000s and Tandy was the only member to rejoin him in the new iteration of the group.

Tandy was one of the founding members of Electric Light Orchestra (Picture: Vivien Killilea/WireImage)

In 2017, Tandy was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

ELO announced their final tour last month, but it remains to be seen whether the band will perform as planned given Tandy’s sudden passing.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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