Denny Laine - Moody Blues frontman dead at 79
Denny Laine (1944-2023), one of the founding members and former frontman of The Moody Blues, has died at the age of 79. This was confirmed by his wife Elizabeth Hines, as reported by the British BBC. He had lost a long battle against a lung disease.
The British musician and singer was born in October 1944 and grew up in the city of Birmingham. In the 1960s, he was one of the founders of the rock band The Moody Blues, which celebrated its first major successes with the single "Go Now!".
Paul McCartney has "many fond memories" of Denny Laine
However, Laine soon left the band. Between 1971 and 1981, he was part of Wings, the group led by Paul McCartney (81) and his wife Linda McCartney (1941-1998). Together with the Beatles legend, Laine wrote the hit "Mull of Kintyre", among others.
McCartney says goodbye to his former band colleague on Instagram. He was "very sad" to hear of Laine's death. "I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when the Beatles were on tour with the Moody Blues," writes the musician. The bands had a lot of respect for each other and had fun together.
Although the two lost sight of each other at some point, "in recent years we have managed to rebuild our friendship and share memories of our time together". The deceased was "an outstanding singer and guitarist" - "a great talent with a fine sense of humor" who was always willing to help other people. McCartney said it had been a pleasure to know Laine: "We will all miss you."
Read also:
- Denny Laine's departure from The Moody Blues in the past led him to join forces with another iconic figure from the 1960s, Paul McCartney, in his band Wings.
- Born in Birmingham in October 1944, Laine's music career was deeply rooted in the Blues genre, a style that he continued to explore even with The Moody Blues and later with Wings.
- During their time together in Wings, Denny Laine and Paul McCartney collaborated on numerous hit songs, one of which was "Mull of Kintyre," a track that gained significant popularity in the UK.
- The BBC reported on the passing of Denny Laine, praising his contributions to the music industry, his remarkable voice, and his uplifting sense of humor that touched many people throughout his career.
- In the 1960s, Denny Laine's influence as a founding member of The Moody Blues helped to establish the band as one of the preeminent British rock groups, alongside artists like The Beatles, who often shared the stage with them during their tours.
Source: www.stern.de
