Former Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood dies at 79

Singer Alex Ligertwood, champion known for providing pb vocals for Santana implicit respective decades, has died. He was 79.

Ligertwood’s woman and agent, Shawn Brogan, announced successful a Saturday evening Facebook station that the vocalist died astatine his Santa Monica home.

“It’s with large sadness and heartache to denote the passing of my saccharine beloved Alex Ligertwood, my hubby of 25 years, we knew each different for 36 years,” Brogan wrote. “Alex passed peacefully successful his slumber with his doggy Bobo by his broadside yesterday.”

Ligertwood’s origin of decease was not revealed.

Alex Ligertwood, left, and Jorge Santana of the set Santana execute Oct. 9, 1993, astatine Shoreline Amphitheater successful Mountain View, Calif.

(Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images)

“Alex was loved by truthful many. If you knew him, you loved him. He touched truthful galore with his bonzer voice. He was each bosom and soul,” Brogan’s connection continued. “His favourite happening successful beingness was to marque music, sing and to stock his acquisition with us. He performed his past amusement conscionable 2 weeks ago. I’m grateful for that. He did it his way, connected his terms, till the end.”

The vocalist had 5 abstracted stints arsenic Santana’s pb vocalist betwixt 1979 and 1994.

He famously served arsenic the group’s vocalist erstwhile it performed astatine Live Aid successful 1985. His dependable was notably featured connected the tracks “You Know That I Love You,” “Winning,” “All I Ever Wanted” and “Hold On.”

Ligertwood besides co-wrote specified songs arsenic “Somewhere successful Heaven” and “Make Somebody Happy,” among others.

Aside from his contributions to Santana, Ligertwood played alongside guitar fable Jeff Beck arsenic portion of the Jeff Beck Group successful the aboriginal ‘70s. He besides played successful jazz-rock keyboardist Brian Auger’s set Oblivion Express.

Auger, who has played with Rod Stewart and Jimi Hendrix, paid tribute to Ligertwood successful a Facebook station Saturday evening.

“To me, Alex aka ‘Wee Eck’ was simply the champion vocalist to ever bash it. In each my years of music, I ne'er heard anyone who possessed that benignant of scope oregon that effortless, carefree quality to soar done a melody. He didn’t conscionable sing songs; helium lived them,” Auger wrote. “The satellite feels overmuch quieter contiguous without his voice, and I volition miss my person much than words tin say. The large set successful the entity conscionable got infinitely amended with Alex’s arrival.”

The vocalist besides appeared connected records with French jazz radical Troc successful the 1970s, American stone set the Dregs successful the 1980s, and the Grateful Dead spinoff task Go Ahead successful the precocious 1980s.

Ligertwood was calved successful Glasgow, Scotland, connected Dec. 18, 1946.

He grew up successful a philharmonic household arsenic his begetter was an amateur drummer. His earliest philharmonic influences were the swooning Motown singers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, including Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. He archetypal performed arsenic a vocalist arsenic portion of his school’s choir and astatine household events.