British guitarist Denny Laine died on December 5, 2023 after a long lung illness. His wife announced this. Laine was the frontman of the Moody Blues and, after leaving in 1966, joined the group Wings, founded by Paul McCartney, five years later.
In a statement on Instagram, his wife Elizabeth Hines wrote: “I was by his side and held his hand while playing his favorite Christmas song (…) My world will never be the same.”
According to the statement, he and his wife believed they could overcome the illness that took his life. “Each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought every day. He was so strong and brave and never complained.”
Moody Blues and Wings
Born in Birmingham in 1944, Laine founded the Moody Blues in 1964 with Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder, Graeme Edge, and Clint Warwick, who shot to the top of the British charts with their song “Go Now”. The five members went on tour with the Beatles and were on their way to becoming one of the biggest rock bands in the country. However, the guitarist left the Moody Blues in 1966 and turned to his solo career.
In 1971 he joined the formation founded by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda and, during his ten years with the Wings, co-wrote, among other things, the hit “Mull of Kintyre”. He left in 1981, but later worked with the ex-Beatle on his solo album “Tug of War”.
Paul McCartney remembers his former bandmate
In a post on Instagram, McCartney shared his sadness over the death of Denny Laine. He remembered the band days together with pictures from the past. He wrote: “I have many fond memories of my time with Denny (…) We had grown apart, but in the last few years we managed to rebuild our friendship and share memories of times together.”