The Moody Blues guitarist was 82 years old
John Lodge, singer, songwriter and bass player for the British rock band the Moody Blues for more than 50 years, has died. He was 82 years old.
His family announced his death in a statement today. “It is with great sadness that we announce that John Lodge, our dear husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law and brother, has been suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us.” The statement did not mention the cause of death, but noted that “John slipped away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones and the voices of the Everly brothers and Buddy Holly.”
Lodge joined the band in 1966, and went on to write or co-write many of the band’s songs, some of which he also sang on: “Ride My See-Saw”, “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)”, “Isn’t Life Strange”, and “Gemini Dream”. and “Steppin in a Slide Zone”. He shared vocal duties with Justin Hayward, who also joined the band in 1966 after the departure of Denny Laine and Clint Warwick and would sing the monster song “Nights in White Satin” (1967).
Lodge continued with the band until their final tour in 2018. He continued his solo career.
Born July 20, 1943 in Birmingham, England, Lodge and Hayward helped guide the Moody Blues from their initial British Invasion R&B sound (1965’s “Go Now”) to what became known as progressive rock. The group went on to have two top 10 singles in the US and three in the UK but were more successful on the album charts.
The band was founded in 1965 by guitarist Denny Laine, bassist Clint Warwick, drummer Graeme Lodge, keyboardist Mike Pinder, and multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas. After the failure of “Go Now” to be a hit, Lane and Warwick left, and Lodge and Hayward were recruited in the fall of 1966.
After the chart-topping hit “Nights in White Satin,” the band became a staple on FM progressive rock radio throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and will continue to work and tour into the 21st century. Their 15 most popular albums include “On the Threshold of a Dream”, “To Our Children’s Children”, “A Matter of Balance”, “Every Good Boy Deserves Favor”, “The 7th Residence” and 1981’s “The Long Distance Traveler”. The band has reportedly sold over 70 million albums.
The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The band ceased performing in 2018, and Hayward is the last surviving member of the band’s most successful lineup.
Among Lodge’s solo albums are Blue Jays (1975, with Hayward); Natural Avenue (1977); 10,000 light years ago (2018), Days of the future have passed – my stay (2023). He continued to tour in 2024 and 2025.