Electric Light Orchestra band members list explored as keyboardist Richard Tandy dies aged 76

Electric Light Orchestra keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Richard Tandy passed away at the age of 76. The news of Tandy's passing was revealed by Electric Light Orchestra co-founder and frontman Jeff Lynne on May 1. Lynne called him a "dear friend" and a "remarkable musician". No official cause of death was disclosed by the musician.

Electric Light Orchestra was formed in Birmingham, Warwickshire, way back in 1970 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood, drummer Bev Beven, and frontman and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Lynne. Tandy joined Electric Light Orchestra in 1972 after the band released their first album. Tandy initially played the bass before transitioning into a keyboardist for the band.

Tandy and Lynne were great friends (Image via X/@JeffLynnesELO)

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Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy survived a plethora of Electric Light Orchestra lineup changes

On May 1, Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra posted a heartbreaking statement on social media revealing that the band's veteran keyboardist Richard Tandy had died aged 76. Along with a couple of pictures alongside Tandy, Lynne posted a video of the two in a recording session.

"It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my long-time collaborator and dear friend Richard Tandy. He was a remarkable musician & friend and I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together," the ELO frontman wrote in his statement.

The remaining members of the 1960s British rock band The Move—Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan—formed the symphonic rock band Electric Light Orchestra in 1970 in Birmingham, Warwickshire. Lynne was the frontman, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist, Bevan was the drummer, and Wood was a multi-instrumentalist who did vocals.

The band's self-titled debut album, also known as No Answer in the U.S., was released in 1971 and went to #31 on the UK charts. Richard Tandy, who had also occasionally played for The Move, joined ELO in 1973 after the release of their first album. The initial lineup also contained musicians Hugh McDowell and Bill Hunt, who left the band after their first album alongside Roy Wood to form Wizzard.

Wilfred Gibson also replaced violinist Steve Woolam. Richard Tandy, who initially played bass, switched to the Moog synthesizer, and Michael d'Albuquerque played bass. The band also saw the addition of cello players Mike Edwards and Colin Walker.

After the band dropped their second studio album, ELO 2, which peaked at #62 on the U.S. charts in 1973, Mik Kaminski replaced Wilfred Gibson, and Colin Walker left the band. The very same year saw the release of their third album, On the Third Day, and the return of Hugh McDowell.

The band later released Eldorado in 1974, which became certified Gold in the U.S. and also saw Albuquerque and Edwards get replaced with Kelly Groucutt and Melvyn Gale, respectively. Arguably the band's biggest-ever album came in the form of 1979's Discovery, which went two times Platinum in the U.S. and peaked at the UK charts.

After an official split in 1983, Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy, and Bev Bevan briefly reunited in 1985 to release Balance of Power, after which they split again in 1986. Baven officially retired in 1999, and the next year, longstanding members Richard Tandy and Jeff Lynne released the studio album Zoom. They once again split the very next year.

Jeff Lynne returned in 2014 alongside Richard Tandy to perform at BBC Radio 2's Festival in a Day as Jeff Lynne's ELO before performing at the 2015 Grammy Awards ceremony.

The newly christened Jeff Lynne's ELO released Alone in the Universe in 2015, which became Platinum in the UK. It was followed by 2019's From Out of Nowhere, which peaked at #1 in the UK charts.

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