{"id":1917348,"date":"2026-05-04T15:33:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1917348"},"modified":"2026-05-04T15:33:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:33:57","slug":"former-santana-singer-alex-ligertwood-dies-aged-79","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1917348","title":{"rendered":"Former Santana singer Alex Ligertwood dies aged 79"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/alex_ligertwood_rip.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><i class=\"tdb-bread-sep td-icon-right\"><\/i><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Former Santana singer Alex Ligertwood dies aged 79<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>He sang with the Latin rock band from 1979 to 1994 and also played with the Jeff Beck Group and Average White Band<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Max Pilley<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-05-04T16:33:57+01:00\">4th May 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- .\/block --><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure>\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/alex_ligertwood_rip-696x442.jpg\" alt title=\"Icons Of Classic Rock - Press Conference\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Alex Ligertwood at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on May 11, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Adri\u00e1n Monroy\/Medios y Media\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Alex Ligertwood, the Scottish singer best known for his work with\u00a0Santana, has died at the age of 79.<\/p>\n<p>The news was confirmed in a statement from his wife Shawn Brogan, who said he passed away at his home in Santa Monica, California on April 30. \u201cIt\u2019s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAlex died peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlex was loved by so many,\u201d she added. \u201cIf you knew him, you\u00a0loved\u00a0him. He touched so many with his extraordinary voice. He was all heart and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ligertwood had performed his final show just a few weeks earlier, capping a career that spanned six decades.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"fb-post\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magicsantana\/posts\/pfbid031G4oznQ5kzXQWjPQ8dqyaPQWwoh7fYXwBq21byxwFjA8u6iw7MK1wE4gJx4mZs7pl\" data-width=\"696\"><\/div>\n<p>Ligertwood played with a wide range of\u00a0artists, but\u00a0is best remembered for his stints as lead vocalist with Santana between 1979 and 1994.\u00a0His soulful voice helped to define that era of the Latin rock band, featuring on albums including \u2018Marathon\u2019 (1979), \u2018Zebop!\u2019 (1981) and \u2018Sacred Fire: Live\u00a0In\u00a0South America\u2019 (1993).<\/p>\n<p>He sang on some of the band\u2019s most beloved tracks, including \u2019Winning\u2019,\u00a0\u2018Hold On\u2019 and \u2018You Know That I Love You\u2019,\u00a0during a period when they\u00a0pivoted to more of an AOR style.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I must share the news that my dear friend and fellow traveller on The Oblivion Express, Alex Ligertwood, has passed away.<br \/>The big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex\u2019s arrival. pic.twitter.com\/FQ0p9lri79<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brian Auger (@brianaugerb3) May 2, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Born in Glasgow on December 18, 1946, Ligertwood began playing skiffle in the 1950s and joined the band The Senate, and prior to joining Santana, he also worked alongside The Jeff Beck Group and Average White Band, building a reputation as a standout\u00a0vocalist.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, he continued to perform live and he released a solo album \u2018Outside The Box\u2019 in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Among those to pay tribute were Brian Auger, the veteran British rock star and\u00a0frontman\u00a0of Brian Auger\u00a0And\u00a0The\u00a0Trinity. Ligertwood had a stint in Brian Auger\u2019s Oblivion Express in the early \u201970s, and Auger wrote on X: \u201cIt is with an incredibly heavy heart that I must share the news that my dear friend and fellow\u00a0traveller\u00a0on The Oblivion Express, Alex Ligertwood, has passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex\u2019s arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Carlos Santana<\/li>\n<li>Rock<\/li>\n<li>Santana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<div id=\"taboola-below-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column 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Film News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Spike Lee defends \u2018Michael\u2019 film following criticism over omission of child sexual abuse allegations<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026_kanyewest_getty_2000x1270-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026_kanyewest_getty_2000x1270-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Albanian Prime Minister announces Kanye West concert in Tirana<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                    <span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span>                <\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Alex Ligertwood, the Scottish singer best known for his work with\u00a0Santana, has died at the age of 79.<\/p>\n<p>The news was confirmed in a statement from his wife Shawn Brogan, who said he passed away at his home in Santa Monica, California on April 30. \u201cIt\u2019s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAlex died peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlex was loved by so many,\u201d she added. \u201cIf you knew him, you\u00a0loved\u00a0him. He touched so many with his extraordinary voice. He was all heart and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ligertwood had performed his final show just a few weeks earlier, capping a career that spanned six decades.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"fb-post\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magicsantana\/posts\/pfbid031G4oznQ5kzXQWjPQ8dqyaPQWwoh7fYXwBq21byxwFjA8u6iw7MK1wE4gJx4mZs7pl\" data-width=\"696\"><\/div>\n<p>Ligertwood played with a wide range of\u00a0artists, but\u00a0is best remembered for his stints as lead vocalist with Santana between 1979 and 1994.\u00a0His soulful voice helped to define that era of the Latin rock band, featuring on albums including \u2018Marathon\u2019 (1979), \u2018Zebop!\u2019 (1981) and \u2018Sacred Fire: Live\u00a0In\u00a0South America\u2019 (1993).<\/p>\n<p>He sang on some of the band\u2019s most beloved tracks, including \u2019Winning\u2019,\u00a0\u2018Hold On\u2019 and \u2018You Know That I Love You\u2019,\u00a0during a period when they\u00a0pivoted to more of an AOR style.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I must share the news that my dear friend and fellow traveller on The Oblivion Express, Alex Ligertwood, has passed away.<br \/>The big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex\u2019s arrival. pic.twitter.com\/FQ0p9lri79<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brian Auger (@brianaugerb3) May 2, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Born in Glasgow on December 18, 1946, Ligertwood began playing skiffle in the 1950s and joined the band The Senate, and prior to joining Santana, he also worked alongside The Jeff Beck Group and Average White Band, building a reputation as a standout\u00a0vocalist.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, he continued to perform live and he released a solo album \u2018Outside The Box\u2019 in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Among those to pay tribute were Brian Auger, the veteran British rock star and\u00a0frontman\u00a0of Brian Auger\u00a0And\u00a0The\u00a0Trinity. Ligertwood had a stint in Brian Auger\u2019s Oblivion Express in the early \u201970s, and Auger wrote on X: \u201cIt is with an incredibly heavy heart that I must share the news that my dear friend and fellow\u00a0traveller\u00a0on The Oblivion Express, Alex Ligertwood, has passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex\u2019s arrival.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/former-santana-singer-alex-ligertwood-dies-aged-79-3943994&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/alex_ligertwood_rip.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Former Santana singer Alex Ligertwood dies aged 79 He sang with the Latin rock band from 1979 to 1994 and also played with the Jeff Beck Group and Average White Band By Max Pilley 4th May 2026 Alex Ligertwood at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on May 11, 2023 in Mexico [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-1917348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1917348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1917348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1917348\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1917348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1917348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1917348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}