(CelebrityAccess) — Michael Thomas Pinder, the English rock keyboardist, songwriter, and the last original member of the Moody Blues has died. He was 82.
His passing was announced by a statement on the band’s website:
Michael Thomas Pinder died on Wednesday, April 24th, 2024 at his home in Northern California, surrounded by his devoted family. Michael’s family would like to share with his trusted friends and caring fans that he passed peacefully. His final days were filled with music, encircled by the love of his family. Michael lived his life with a childlike wonder, walking a deeply introspective path which fused the mind and the heart.
A cause of death was not disclosed but Pinder had suffered from dementia in recent years.
While his career in music was relatively short, Pinder’s innovative keyboard work helped to establish the Mellotron as a key component of the progressive rock sound.
Born in Birmingham, Pinder co-founded the Moody Blues in 1964 with singer/guitarist Denny Laine, singer/bassist Clint Warwick and drummer Graeme Edge.
Pinder’s keyboard work helped to define the early sound of the band and he contributed vocals, including the poetry narration on the Moody Blues’ iconic 1967 release ‘Nights in White Satin’.
Pinder stepped away from the group in 1974 when they reformed after a hiatus and relocated his family to the United States where he released ‘The Promise’ a solo album through the Moodies’ Threshold label.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, he remained largely out of the public eye, serving as a technical consultant on software development, including for the video game maker Atari and also took on roles as a music editor and consultant for film.
He also released a spoken word album of children’s stories and a follow-up solo album ‘Among The Stars’ in 1994.
In 2018, Pinder reunited with the Moody Blues for the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but drew attention when he remained silent during the induction ceremony.
He later explained his silence to his fans on his website, noting: “Many MB fans have asked why I did not speak at the induction but by the time the Moodies took the stage we were 5 hours into the ceremony. The oldest of the inductees were up the latest. The speeches were a bit anti-climatic at that point and it was only fitting that the current touring members (Edge, Hayward and Lodge) spoke first. I am happy that we finally got inducted for our fans sake.” He went on to note that “as I have said for the last 30 years ‘the fans are my hall of fame.’”
