The group’s co-founder Jeff Lynne announced Tandy’s on social media Wednesday, writing, “It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my long-time collaborator and dear friend Richard Tandy.” Lynee called his bandmate a “remarkable musician & friend,” and said, “I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together.”Tandy joined ELO in 1971 as a bassist, one year after Lynne, Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan formed the group in Birmingham.
In the summer of 2014, Lynne and Tandy brought the group back under the new name Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra for an outdoor concert in London’s Hyde Park.why Tandy was the only original member he brought back when the group reformed, Lyne replied, “Richard is my lifetime man in the group.” He continued, “He’d be in the studio with me when other people wouldn’t be. It’s just my choice. He’s a great musician, a great piano player and I really enjoy his company.