John Lodge, the longtime bassist, vocalist, and songwriter for the Moody Blues, whose songs helped define the group’s sweeping fusion of symphonic rock and pop, has died at the age of 82. His family confirmed his passing in a statement shared Friday on the band’s social media accounts, saying he died “suddenly and unexpectedly,” surrounded by loved ones, “and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.”

“As anyone who knew this massive-hearted man knows, it was his enduring love of his wife, Kirsten, and his family that was most important to him,” the statement read. “He was never happier than being on stage, he was ‘Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band,’ and he adored performing with his band and his son-in-law Jon , and continuing to share this music with his fans.”

No cause of death was given. Justin Hayward, Lodge’s bandmate and creative partner for more than five decades, paid tribute on social media. “I’m very sad and shocked to hear of John’s passing,” Hayward wrote. “I have such happy memories of making music together. My sincere condolences to his dear wife and family.”

Lodge joined the Moody Blues in 1966, the same year Hayward came aboard. Together, they helped reinvent the group’s sound, steering it away from its early R&B roots and toward the lush, progressive rock style that would become their signature. The new lineup, which also included Graeme Edge, Mike Pinder, and Ray Thomas, released Days of Future Passed in 1967, an album that fused rock with orchestral arrangements and cemented the Moody Blues’ place in music history.

“In 1967, Graeme, Mike, Ray, Justin, and myself went into the Decca recording studio in London,” Lodge recalled during the band’s 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech. “Days later, we came out with an album that changed our lives forever.”

Across his five-decade career with the Moody Blues, Lodge wrote and sang some of the band’s most enduring songs, including “Ride My See-Saw,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” and “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band).” His contributions helped define the group’s introspective yet grand sound, balancing philosophical lyrics with soaring melodies.

His songwriting extended beyond the band’s initial run of classics. Lodge penned later singles such as “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone” (1978), “Talking Out of Turn” (1981), “Sitting at the Wheel” (1983), and “Here Comes the Weekend” (1988). In total, he appeared on 15 of the Moody Blues’ 16 studio albums, remaining an active member until the band retired from touring in 2018.

Outside the group, Lodge released several solo albums, including Natural Avenue (1977) and 10,000 Light Years Ago (2015), and collaborated with Hayward on the 1975 project Blue Jays during a hiatus between Moody Blues albums. In recent years, he continued to perform live with his own band, often featuring his son-in-law Jon Davison, blending Moody Blues material with selections from his solo work.

For more than half a century, Lodge was the rhythmic and emotional backbone of a band that helped expand the boundaries of rock music. His bass lines and vocals were as integral to the Moody Blues’ sound as their signature use of the Mellotron and orchestral textures. The group’s blend of poetic lyrics, conceptual albums, and symphonic ambition influenced generations of progressive rock and pop musicians.

The Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, a long-awaited recognition for a group that had shaped modern rock’s more experimental edges. In his induction speech, Lodge thanked American radio stations and fans “for believing in us for five decades,” adding, “It’s given us encouragement to keep doing everything we love and that’s making music.”

Lodge’s death follows that of several of his bandmates in recent years. Drummer Graeme Edge died in 2021, founding vocalist Denny Laine passed in 2023, and original keyboardist Mike Pinder died earlier this year. Flutist Ray Thomas also died in early 2018, just months before the band’s Hall of Fame induction.

In their statement, Lodge’s family said they would honor his memory through the love he shared and the music he created. “We will forever miss his love, smile, kindness, and his never-ending support,” they wrote. “We are heartbroken but will walk forward into peace surrounded by the love he had for each of us. As John would always say at the end of the show, thank you for keeping the faith.”