Depeche Mode founding member Andy Fletcher dies at 60
Depeche Mode founding member Andy Fletcher dies at 60
Andy Fletcher of the band Depeche Mode performs at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7, 2017. (Owen Sweeney / Invision / AP)
LOS ANGELES -
Andy "Fletch" Fletcher, keyboardist and one of the founding members of iconic British electronic band Depeche Mode, has died. He was 60.
The news was announced via Depeche Mode's official Twitter account, which posted the news Thursday afternoon.
"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," the post reads. A cause of death was not confirmed.
Fletcher formed Depeche Mode in 1980 with Dave Gahan, MartinGore and Vince Clarke, who was initially seen as the auteur of the group before abruptly departing after their debut album and leaving Gore as the principal songwriter ever since.
"Fletch" was the least outwardly showy of the core trio, often wearing shades as he stood behind the keyboards while the more demonstrative Gahan and Gore roamed the stage, but still raising his arms to rouse the rabble.
Over the course of Fletcher's tenure with the group, they sold over 100 million records worldwide and had 54 songs chart on the UK Singles Chart. As a member of Depeche Mode, Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
"We're a democracy. If someone doesn't want to do something then we won't do it," Fletcher said in a 2017 interview with The Skinny in the U.K.
"Martin and Dave live in the US and I live here, but it doesn't really affect our relationships. Me and Martin are very close. Dave is more like a brother to me - if that makes sense. But what makes bands better than solo artists is the electricity that's generated. Sometimes a band can't stand each other but that electricity makes for great music. It's the same with Depeche Mode; we have moments where we don't like each other, and moments when we love each other. It's the electricity that's generated between us all that produces the good music."
Depeche Mode brought its Global Spirit Tour to Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Oct. 25, 2017. The British electronic band played many classics, finishing with "Personal Jesus" and an encore that included a tribute to the late David Bowie. (Photos by Anil Sharma)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Some emergency rooms across Canada shutting down amid staff shortages
Hospitals overwhelmed by the pandemic’s onslaught are still facing a number of challenges, causing unprecedented wait times in emergency rooms across the country.
'Defeated and discouraged': Airport frustrations sour Canadians' summer travel plans
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
Gunmen killed in Saanich bank shootout identified as twin brothers
Twin brothers in their early 20s were responsible for the shooting that injured numerous police officers at a bank in Saanich, B.C., earlier this week, RCMP alleged Saturday.
TD 'significantly' downgrades home sale, price forecasts
A new report from TD says Canadian home sales could fall by nearly one-quarter on average this year and remain low into 2023.
Dwindling salmon stocks mean endangered B.C. orcas are going hungry, researchers say
Researchers in British Columbia say the province's endangered southern resident orcas have not been getting enough food for years, with some of the worst bouts of hunger occurring since 2018.
Calgary's new 'Museum of Failures' aims to spark creativity
It's been said no one's success is complete without failure, but a new international exhibit in Calgary is proving that even some of the most talented innovators had some of the worst ideas for consumers.
Importing dogs from more than 100 countries to be banned in Canada
Animal rescue groups are criticizing a new policy by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that will ban the import of dogs from more than 100 countries.
Gas prices see long weekend drop in parts of Canada, but analysts say relief not likely to last
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
Anti-Taliban law could be tweaked to get more humanitarian aid to Afghans: minister
A law outlawing any dealings with the Taliban, which charities complain is impeding their ability to help needy Afghans, could be adjusted by the federal government to give more flexibility to aid agencies.
Canada
-
'Defeated and discouraged': Airport frustrations sour Canadians' summer travel plans
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
-
Police identify Saanich, B.C., gunmen as 22-year-old twin brothers
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday as 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie.
-
Quebec could see increase in unhoused people as leases expire across province: housing group
A prominent housing advocacy group fears Quebec could see an increase in households left without a permanent place to live as leases expire across the province on July 1.
-
Some emergency rooms across Canada shutting down amid staff shortages
Hospitals overwhelmed by the pandemic’s onslaught are still facing a number of challenges, causing unprecedented wait times in emergency rooms across the country.
-
Missing Edmonton teen found safe in Oregon, U.S. man facing charges
A 13-year-old girl from Edmonton who had been missing for more than a week was safely located in Oregon, where a man, 41, is in police custody and facing charges.
-
Police looking to identify man who paved driveway in Puslinch, Ont. without permission
Ontario police are trying to identify a man who they say was involved in an 'unwanted residential paving incident' in Puslinch, Ont.
World
-
Russian forces press assault on eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk
Russian forces pounded the city of Lysychansk and its surroundings in an all-out attempt to seize the last stronghold of resistance in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province, the governor said Saturday.
-
Uvalde schools' police chief Pete Arredondo resigns from City Council
The Uvalde school district's police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
-
Russia's messages with missiles tell West to back off
While much of the attritional war in Ukraine's east is hidden from sight, the brutality of Russian missile strikes on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk and on residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv, unfolded in full view of the world and especially of Western leaders gathered for a trio of summits in Europe.
-
North Korea slams U.S.-South Korea-Japan military cooperation
North Korea on Sunday slammed the United States, South Korea and Japan for pushing to boost their trilateral military cooperation targeting the North, warning that the move is prompting urgent calls for the country to reinforce its military capability.
-
Truck hits cyclist, fireworks stand in D.C., killing 2 people
A truck hit a bicyclist and careened into a fireworks stand Saturday evening at an intersection in northeast Washington, killing the bicyclist and a man working in the stand, police said. No other injuries were reported.
-
Hong Kong rescuers search for crew of vessel that broke in half after being caught in typhoon
A search for more than two dozen crew members whose ship broke in half and sank after being caught near the centre of Typhoon Chaba was under way on Saturday, according to the Hong Kong search and rescue authorities.
Politics
-
Anti-Taliban law could be tweaked to get more humanitarian aid to Afghans: minister
A law outlawing any dealings with the Taliban, which charities complain is impeding their ability to help needy Afghans, could be adjusted by the federal government to give more flexibility to aid agencies.
-
In Canada Day message, Trudeau says Canadian flag represents promise of a better life
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on Canadians to recommit to the country’s values, including respect, hope and kindness, in his official Canada Day message.
-
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon calls on Canadians to work toward inclusive society
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says Canadians should work together to build an inclusive society in her official message to the nation to mark Canada Day.
Health
-
Infection with HIV can accelerate aging within the first two to three years of infection, study says
Living with HIV may have an immediate effect on how your body ages, according to new research which showed that cellular aging was sped up within two to three years of infection.
-
Medication abortion is common. Here's how it works
Medication abortions became the preferred method for ending pregnancy in the U.S. even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. These involve taking two prescription medicines days apart -- at home or in a clinic.
-
'You do not want this' virus: California man with monkeypox urges others to get vaccinated
A California man has posted a widely-shared video in an attempt to educate people about the monkeypox virus outbreak, to encourage people to get vaccinated if they're eligible and to make it very clear: 'You do not want this.'
Sci-Tech
-
Dwindling salmon stocks mean endangered B.C. orcas are going hungry, researchers say
Researchers in British Columbia say the province's endangered southern resident orcas have not been getting enough food for years, with some of the worst bouts of hunger occurring since 2018.
-
'Ghost genes' from coyotes could help save critically endangered red wolves, study says
Scientists are hopeful that the key to reviving red wolves, which are on the brink of extinction, may lie in the genes of coyotes that have significant red wolf ancestry.
-
Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand
Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.
Entertainment
-
Man found at Taylor Swift properties faces stalking charges
A 35-year-old New York man is facing trespassing and stalking charges after authorities said he entered two New York City residences linked to the famed singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
-
Lindsay Lohan shares she is married
Lindsay Lohan has announced she is married. The actress, 36, who celebrated her birthday Saturday, posted a photo with Bader Shammas, a financier, calling him her husband.
-
Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian break silence about hospitalization
Newlyweds Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian are reflecting on 'a scary and emotional week.' The pair posted on their verified social media accounts about Barker's recent hospitalization for pancreatitis.
Business
-
Stuck bags add to tangles at Paris airports amid travel boom
Airlines worked Saturday to deliver luggage to passengers around the world after a technical breakdown left at least 1,500 bags stuck at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, the latest of several tangles hitting travellers this summer.
-
Holiday getaway pushes U.S. airport traffic to pandemic high
The Fourth of July holiday weekend is jamming U.S. airports with their biggest crowds since the pandemic began in 2020.
-
Gas prices see long weekend drop in parts of Canada, but analysts say relief not likely to last
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
Lifestyle
-
'Ungrading': How one Ontario teacher is changing her approach to report cards
An Ontario high school teacher plans to continue with an alternative method of grading her students after an experiment last semester in which students proposed a grade and had to justify it with examples of their work.
-
Rescued Afghanistan dogs arrive at Toronto sanctuary
Ten dogs who were evacuated from Afghanistan by the animal welfare group No Dogs Left Behind arrived in Toronto during the long weekend.
-
Maryland woman wins lottery for a third time, cites her game-winning strategy
A Maryland woman has won her third lottery prize of at least US$100,000 in five years, a feat she attributes to strategy and luck.
Sports
-
Jakobsen overtakes Van Aert on line to win Tour stage 2
Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen overtook Wout van Aert right on the line to win the second stage of the Tour de France while Van Aert took the yellow jersey on Saturday.
-
WNBA's Brittney Griner goes on trial in Russian court
American basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday, 4 1/2 months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team, in a case that has unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.
-
Swiatek's 37-match win streak ends in Wimbledon's 3rd round
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek was unbeaten since February and sure seemed unbeatable, compiling 37 consecutive match wins and six consecutive tournament titles. But a mistake-filled Saturday sent Swiatek out of Wimbledon in the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to 37th-ranked Alize Cornet of France.
Autos
-
B.C. judge dismisses realtor's claim dealership misled him about Ford Mustang
A Vancouver Island real estate agent has lost his bid to recover a deposit he made on a new Ford Mustang that he intended to offer as a prize in a year-long contest in 2020.
-
Tesla's second quarter sales drop amid supply chain, pandemic problems
Tesla's sales from April through June fell to their lowest quarterly level since last fall as supply chain issues and pandemic restrictions in China hobbled production of its electric vehicles.
-
Sainz takes 1st pole, Verstappen booed at British GP
It took 151 attempts for Carlos Sainz to earn his first Formula One pole. Now he'll chase that elusive first win. But starting alongside Sainz on the front row Sunday at the British Grand Prix will be defending F1 champion Max Verstappen, a year removed from the crash with Lewis Hamilton that turned their title fight into a bitter rivalry.
