Depeche Mode founding member and keyboardist Andy Fletcher dies at 60

File photo taken on October 11, 2016, of Depeche Mode founding member Andrew Fletcher, who has died aged 60. – AFP

Andrew Fletcher, a founding member of the British rock group Depeche Mode, had died aged 60, the band announced Thursday.

"We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy 'Fletch' Fletcher," it said on Twitter.

"Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint."

Depeche Mode have sold more than 100 million albums since the band was founded in 1980, winning over a global audience with such hits as Personal Jesus or Just Can't Get Enough.

Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other members of Depeche Mode in 2020. – AFP