Bob Welch has died

[SummerlongBoots]

Originally Posted by Richard B

ON EDIT:
Any band members commented/quoted yet?

Nicks released a statement, calling Welch's death "devastating."

"He was an amazing guitar player - he was funny, sweet - and he was smart - I'm so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac - so, so sad," Nicks said.

------------------------


Ex-Fleetwood Mac member Bob Welch dead


Bob Welch (June 7, 2012)

Bob Welch of Fleetwood Mac dies at 66


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bob Welch, an early member of rock band Fleetwood Mac who enjoyed a successful solo career with hits such as "Ebony Eyes," died on Thursday of an apparent suicide at home in Nashville. He was 66.

Police said Welch's body was found by his wife with a single gunshot wound to the chest, and he had left a suicide note. Welch suffered from health problems, but police did not disclose what those issues were.

"The police are investigating it as a suicide, and there was no evidence of foul play," Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told Reuters.

Welch was born on August 31, 1945 in Los Angeles to movie producer father Robert L. Welch and actress mother Templeton Fox. He moved to Paris to study French at the Sorbonne, then returned to Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

He was invited to join Fleetwood Mac after the departure of founding members Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer. He played guitar and was a vocalist with the band from 1971 to 1974, working on five of their early albums including 1971's "Future Games," 1972's "Bare Trees" and 1973's "Mystery to Me."

It was after Welch's departure from the band in 1975 that Fleetwood Mac went on to find its largest measure of fame on albums such as 1977's "Rumours" with the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the band's lineup.

Nicks released a statement, calling Welch's death "devastating."

"He was an amazing guitar player - he was funny, sweet - and he was smart - I'm so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac - so, so sad," Nicks said.

Welch fell out with his former band mates after suing the group in 1994 for unpaid royalties, which led to his exclusion from the group's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1998.

The singer and guitarist formed a hard rock group called Paris in 1975, releasing two albums, "Paris" and "Hunt Sales," before disbanding the group a few years later and embarking on a solo career.

His debut solo record, the pop-driven "French Kiss" in 1977, went platinum and produced the hits "Sentimental Lady," "Ebony Eyes" and "Hot Love, Cold World." Welch followed up with 1979's "Three Hearts," and four more albums throughout the early 1980s, none of which emulated the same success as "French Kiss."

He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1987 and formed a short-lived group called Avenue M, before moving to Nashville in the late 1990s, working on a songwriting career and releasing a tribute to bebop music, "Bob Welch Looks At Bop," in 1999.

His most recent albums, 2003's "His Fleetwood Mac Years and Beyond" and 2006's "His Fleetwood Mac Years and Beyond 2," had previously unreleased material as well as new compositions.

Welch is the second member of Fleetwood Mac to die this year. In January, another former guitarist for the band, Bob Weston, died in London from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage, at age 64.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy and Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Bernard Orr and Vicki Allen)



http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...,1770444.story

[SummerlongBoots]

Bob Welch, Ex-Fleetwood Mac Member, Found Dead
by The Associated Press

text size AAA
June 7, 2012
Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who also had a solo career, died Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He was 65.

Police spokesman Don Aaron said Welch's wife found him with a chest wound at their south Nashville home around 12:15 p.m. local time.

Welch was a guitarist and vocalist for Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. He formed the British rock group Paris in 1976, and had hits including "Sentimental Lady" in 1977 and "Ebony Eyes" in 1978. Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham did backing vocals on "Sentimental Lady."

Aaron said Welch apparently had had health issues recently. He said a suicide note was left.

Fleetwood Mac's career took off in the mid-1970s after Welch left the band. "Dreams" was a No. 1 hit in 1977 and "Don't Stop" the same year. It later became the anthem for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. "Hold Me" was a hit in 1982 and "Little Lies" in 1987.

Welch, a native of Los Angeles, scored his biggest hit with "Sentimental Lady," which reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart. His other singles included "Precious Love" in 1979 and "Hot Love, Cold World" in 1978.

When Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, Welch was not included in the group.

"It basically comes down to the fact that they don't like me anymore," he told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland at the time. "I guess they can do what they want. I could understand it if I had been a sideman for a year. But I was an integral part of that band ... I put more of myself into that band than anything else I've ever done."

Longtime Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks told The Associated Press that Welch's death hit her hard.

"The death of Bob Welch is devastating ... I had many great times with him after Lindsey and I joined Fleetwood Mac," she said. "He was an amazing guitar player he was funny, sweet and he was smart. I am so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac so, so sad ..."

Founding member Mick Fleetwood did not immediately respond to e-mails for comment Thursday.

As a songwriter, Welch had his songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Sammy Hagar, the Pointer Sisters and others.

In 1999 he released a CD, "Bob Welch Looks at Bop," a salute to bebop music in the 1940s.

In an interview with The Tennessean in 2003, Welch said he never dreamed he'd be remembered for much.

"I just wanted to play guitar in a good band," he said. "I wanted to make the music I love. I wanted to travel the world and have adventures."

Welch also said "music is disposable now. It doesn't have the emotional impact anymore. That's sad."

He had lived in Nashville since the 1990s.




http://www.npr.org/2012/06/07/154540...ber-found-dead

[Ghost_Tracker]

Just found out. Totally blown away and pretty sad.
I guess he's the first from the "inner circle" to go.
r.i.p.

[desertangel]

My deepest sympathy to Bob's family and those who loved him. So sorry he had to go out this way, what a tragedy. I'm choked up and close to tears, haven't felt well today and feel even worse now.

[wildheart048]

So very very sad. My condolences to his family... RIP...

[Nickingham]

That is sad.
My condolences to his family. You will be missed Bob. R.I.P

[Lee]

They are playing Ebony Eyes on the radio station that I'm listening to right now. And I never knew that he sang this song. I like it.

Lee

[mikephxaz]

The loss of Welch brings to a close a part of Fleetwood Mac...God Bless

[Eponymous]

From News Report:
Longtime Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks told The Associated Press that Welch's death hit her hard.

"The death of Bob Welch is devastating ... I had many great times with him after Lindsey and I joined Fleetwood Mac. He was an amazing guitar player — he was funny, sweet — and he was smart. I am so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac — so, so sad ..."

Founding member Mick Fleetwood did not immediately respond to e-mails for comment Thursday.

[mike_nh]

damn, another chapter closes.

[Gypsy]

I just found out. Listening to "Sentimental Lady" and crying.

R.I.P., Bob. Thank you for your music, and God Bless you. I hope you found peace.

[SteveMacD]

I'm just sick over this. Just sick.

[WildHearted]

What horrible, horrible news. I'm seriously in shock. So sorry for his family and all who knew him... his music was a blessing.

Rest in peace, Bob.

[DeeGeMe]

So sorry to learn of Bob's death--I had heard he had health problems--so sad. Rock in Peace.

[aleuzzi]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who also had a solo career, died Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He was 65.

Police spokesman Don Aaron said Welch's wife found him with a chest wound at their south Nashville home around 12:15 p.m.

Welch was a guitarist and vocalist for Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974. He formed the British rock group Paris in 1976, and had hits including "Sentimental Lady" in 1977 and "Ebony Eyes" in 1978. Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham did backing vocals on "Sentimental Lady."

Aaron said Welch apparently had had health issues recently. He said a suicide note was left.

Fleetwood Mac's career took off in the mid-1970s after Welch left the band. "Dreams" was a No. 1 hit in 1977 and "Don't Stop" the same year. It later became the anthem for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. "Hold Me" was a hit in 1982 and "Little Lies" in 1987.

Welch, a native of Los Angeles, scored his biggest hit with "Sentimental Lady," which reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart. His other singles included "Precious Love" in 1979 and "Hot Love, Cold World" in 1978.

When Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, Welch was not included in the group.

"It basically comes down to the fact that they don't like me anymore," he told The Plain Dealer of Cleveland at the time. "I guess they can do what they want. I could understand it if I had been a sideman for a year. But I was an integral part of that band ... I put more of myself into that band than anything else I've ever done."

Longtime Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks told The Associated Press that Welch's death hit her hard.

"The death of Bob Welch is devastating ... I had many great times with him after Lindsey and I joined Fleetwood Mac. He was an amazing guitar player – he was funny, sweet – and he was smart. I am so very sorry for his family and for the family of Fleetwood Mac – so, so sad ..."

Founding member Mick Fleetwood did not immediately respond to e-mails for comment Thursday.

As a songwriter, Welch had his songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Sammy Hagar, the Pointer Sisters and others.

In 1999 he released a CD, "Bob Welch Looks at Bop," a salute to bebop music in the 1940s.

In an interview with The Tennessean in 2003, Welch said he never dreamed he'd be remembered for much.

"I just wanted to play guitar in a good band," he said. "I wanted to make the music I love. I wanted to travel the world and have adventures."

Welch also said "music is disposable now. It doesn't have the emotional impact anymore. That's sad."

He had lived in Nashville since the 1990s.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...=Entertainment