[tweetmeme]Martin Lister, the keyboardist and musical director for German synthpop group Alphaville (“Forever Young”) since the mid-’90s, died this past week, the band today announced, saying, “We are all speechless and shocked” and that “Alphaville will never be the same again.”
According to a post from bandleader Marian Gold and the group’s members, management and crew on Facebook, Lister passed away “unexpectedly” this past Wednesday. The band writes: “We have lost a marvelous keyboard player, a competent and gifted composer of music and a most precious friend.”
Lister joined Alphaville in 1995 when the group — which didn’t tour regularly during its ’80s heyday — began to play regularly, working as both keyboardist and musical director for the band’s tours in the ’90s and 2000s. He is credited on Alphaville’s Visions of Dreamscapes and Crazyshow, and was heavily involved in 2010 comeback record Catching Rays on Giant, even singing lead vocals on “Call Me Down.”
Below, see the band’s full statement, and stream Alphaville’s “Call Me Down.”
Statement from Alphaville:
Dear friends,
it is my sad duty to inform you that Alphaville member Martin Lister passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 21st.
We have lost a marvelous keyboard player, a competent and gifted composer of music and a most precious friend.
We are all speechless and shocked.
Alphaville will never be the same again.Martin, we miss you, miss you, miss you…
Rest in peace.Marian Gold, David Goodes, Jakob Kiersch, Maja Kim, Crew & Management
Audio: Alphaville, “Call Me Down” (w/ Martin Lister on vocals)
