Singer Alex Ligertwood, best known for being Santana's lead vocalist for several decades, has died. He was 79 years old.
Ligertwood's wife and agent, Shawn Brogan, announced in a Facebook post Saturday night that the vocalist died at his home in Santa Monica.
“It is with great sadness and pain to announce the passing of my sweet and beloved Alex Ligertwood, my husband of 25 years, we had known each other for 36 years,” Brogan wrote. “Alex passed away yesterday peacefully in his sleep with his dog Bobo by his side.”
The cause of Ligertwood's death was not revealed.
Alex Ligertwood, left, and Jorge Santana of the band Santana perform on October 9, 1993 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.
(Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
“Alex was loved by many. If you knew him, you loved him. He touched many with his extraordinary voice. He was all heart and soul,” Brogan's statement continued. “What he loved most in life was making music, singing, and sharing his gift with us. He performed his last show just two weeks ago. I'm grateful for that. He did it his way, on his terms, until the end.”
The singer had five different stints as Santana's lead vocalist between 1979 and 1994.
He became famous as the group's singer when he performed at Live Aid in 1985. His voice notably appeared on the songs “You Know That I Love You”, “Winning”, “All I Ever Wanted” and “Hold On”.
Ligertwood also co-wrote songs like “Somewhere in Heaven” and “Make Somebody Happy,” among others.
Aside from his contributions to Santana, Ligertwood played alongside guitar legend Jeff Beck as part of the Jeff Beck Group in the early '70s. He also played in jazz-rock keyboardist Brian Auger's band Oblivion Express.
Auger, who has played with Rod Stewart and Jimi Hendrix, paid tribute to Ligertwood in a Facebook post Saturday night.
“To me, Alex, aka 'Wee Eck,' was simply the greatest singer who ever did it. In all my years of music, I never heard anyone who possessed that kind of range or that effortless, carefree ability to fly through a melody. He didn't just sing songs; he lived them,” Auger wrote. “The world feels much calmer today without his voice, and I will miss my friend more than words can express. The big band in the sky was infinitely improved by Alex's arrival.”
The singer also appeared on records with French jazz group Troc in the 1970s, American rock band The Dregs in the 1980s, and the Grateful Dead spin-off project Go Ahead in the late 1980s.
Ligertwood was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on December 18, 1946.
He grew up in a musical home as his father was an amateur drummer. His early musical influences were the swooning Motown singers of the '50s and '60s, including Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. She first performed as a vocalist as part of her school choir and at family events.
