Trigger Warning: This article contains a mention of death.
The music industry and those who have always cherished the tunes by Moody Blues woke up to shocking news. Mike Pinder, the founding member of the band, was announced to have died on April 24, 2024.
As a tribute to the legend, we recall his great work and the amazing contributions he made to the music industry.
Who was Mike Pinder?
Mike Pinder was born on December 27, 1941, in Erdington, Birmingham. During his young years, he had an utter interest in rockets, outer space, and other interstellar talks, which gave him a new name, Mickey the Moon Boy.
Later, as he developed his love for music, he and another one of his multi-instrumentalist folks, Ray Thomas, formed Moody Blues in May 1964.
However, he left the band in 1978, after the band had completed their ninth studio album, Octave. Throughout his career, Mike Pinder was always appreciated for his technological offerings to the world of rock as well as psychedelic music.
If you are aware of what Mellotron is—the synthesizer/electric keyboard like Intrumetn—it was developed by Pinder.
His first marriage was with Donna Roth, the lady with whom he welcomed his eldest son, Daniel. However, the couple parted ways, after which he married Tara Lee.
Together, Lee and Pinder welcomed two sons, namely Matt and Michael. Talking about his kids, they follow in their father’s footsteps and are a part of the music industry.
Daniel has become a music editor and consultant in Hollywood, having great movie credits attached to his name such as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, as well as The Da Vinci Code.
Mike Pinder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Moody Blues in April 2018.
Mike Pinder dies at 82
Appreciated for his great skills and talented mind, the only surviving member of the original lineup of Moody Blues, Mike Pinder, died at the age of 82.
His demise shocked the whole music industry, as they came across a social media post from the former band member, John Lodge. Taking it to Facebook, Lodge, who was the bassist and vocalist of the band until his departure in 1966, confirmed the saddening news through a statement from his family.
The social media post read, “Michael’s family would like to share with his trusted friends and caring fans that he passed peacefully.”
The post then continued to talk about the final days of the artist, which were “filled with music, encircled by the love of his family.” Remembering the legend, he was said to have walked on a “deeply introspective path.”
He was also remembered by Justin Hayward, who was the former guitarist and vocalist of Moody Blues, in the statement as a “natural-born musician who could play any style of music with warmth and love.” Hayward also called Mike Pinder “a huge part of” his “musical journey.”
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