John Lodge the singer and bassist with the Moody Blues, has died aged 82.

In a statement, Lodge’s family confirmed his death, sharing, “It is with the deepest sadness that we have to announce that John Lodge, our darling husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law and brother, has been suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us.”

The message continued, “As anyone who knew this massive-hearted man knows, it was his enduring love of his wife, Kirsten, and his family, that was the most important thing to him, followed by his passion for music, and his faith.”

While no cause of death was revealed, it was confirmed that he “peacefully slipped away surrounded by his loved ones”. His final moments were soundtracked by “the sounds of the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly”.

The heartfelt statement added, “We will forever miss his love, smile, kindness and his absolute and never-ending support. We are heartbroken, but will walk forwards into peace surrounded by the love he had for each of us.”

They concluded by powerfully writing, “As John would always say at the end of the show, thank you for keeping the faith.”

The rock icon was born in Birmingham in 1943 and joined the Moody Blues in 1966 following the release of their debut album. He remained part of their line-up until they retired in 2018.

Denny Laine, who later formed Wings with Paul McCartney, and Clint Warwick departed the band, which allowed for Lodge and Justin Hayward to join, which rejuvenated the Moody Blues at a crucial time when it felt like their career was tumbling.

Their mainstream breakthrough occurred in 1967 with the release of Days of Future Passed, which established them in America. They then released In Search of the Lost Chord, which they followed up the next year with their first number one album, On the Threshold of a Dream.

The good times continued to roll for the next few years, and everything they touched seemed to turn to gold. However, after spending years continuously turning out albums and touring the world, it finally caught up with the Moody Blues, who needed to take a break in 1974 before eventually returning with a new album four years later.

Although they released their final album, December, in 2003, the Moody Blues continued to be active until Graeme Edge’s death in 2018. They also made their debut at Glastonbury Festival in 2015.

The Moody Blues sold more than 70 million records around the world and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Outside of his work with the Moody Blues, Lodge first released a duo album with his bandmate Hayward, titled Blue Jays, in 1975. He also made the solo record, Natural Avenue, in 1977. During his later years, he revisited his solo career, sharing the full-length 10,000 Light Years Ago in 2015 and Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn in 2023.

Reflecting on the band’s wild success in an interview with Vinyl Writer Music, Lodge said, “When we started in the mid-60s, it was just five guys, a road manager, and a van. That’s what we had, but by 1974, we had got touring companies, publishing companies, record companies, we even had a fleet to shop record stores across the south of England. We had stopped talking to each other, we only talked business.”

Tributes to John Lodge

Tributes have poured in for Lodge from the music world, including from his former Moody Blues partner Justin Hayward, who wrote on X, “I’m very sad and shocked to hear of John’s passing. I have such happy memories of making music together. My sincere condolences to his dear wife and family.”

Prog-rock icons YES also wrote, “We are sad to hear of John Lodge’s passing. As many YESfans will know, John was a longtime friend of the band, as father-in-law to YES singer Jon Davison, and having toured with them on The Royal Affair Tour of 2019.”

Meanwhile, Genesis’ Steve Hackett said: “Sad to hear of the death of John Lodge… a fine guitarist from a groundbreaking band.”

Lodge is survived by his wife, Kirsten, and their two children, Emily and Kristian.