Denny Laine, Moody Blues and Wings Co-Founder, Dies at 79

Denny Laine, a co-founder of each the Moody Blues and Wings, has died at the age of 79.

His spouse, Elizabeth Hines, shared the information on social media on Tuesday. She had helped arrange a GoFundMe web page for Laine in September following a battle with interstitial lung illness.

“My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning,” she wrote. “I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favorite Christmas songs for him. He’s been singing Christmas songs the past few weeks and I continued to play Christmas songs while he’s been in ICU on a ventilator this past week.”

How Did Denny Laine Die?

She continued: “He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation center and eventually home. Unfortunately, his lung disease, interstitial lung disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought every day. He was so strong and brave, never complained. All he wanted was to be home with me and his pet kitty, Charley, playing his gypsy guitar.

“Denny was so very grateful to all of you who despatched him a lot love, help and the numerous form phrases throughout these previous few months of his well being crisis-it introduced him to tears. I thanks all for sending each of us love and help. It was my absolute honor and privilege to not solely be his spouse however to take care of him throughout his sickness and vulnerability.”

Laine was a co-founder of the Moody Blues in 1964 and stayed with the band until 1966. He was the lead singer on the band’s first big hit, “Go Now.” After he left the British rock group in late 1966, Justin Hayward replaced him and the band took a turn toward more symphonic rock.

For the next few years, Laine played in the bands Electric String Band, Balls and Ginger Baker’s Air Force. He also launched a solo career during this period, releasing a pair of singles.

READ MORE: Wings’ Legacy Surprises Denny Laine

In 1971, Laine joined up with Paul and Linda McCartney to form Wings, the post-Beatles group that became one of the biggest acts of the ’70s. He remained with the band until it broke up 10 years later, performing on all of their albums, including Band on the Run, the 1973 chart-topper that was released in the U.S. 50 years to the day of his death. During his time in Wings, Laine often wrote and sang lead. He also released some solo recordings in the ’70s.

What Did Denny Laine Do After Wings?

After the breakup of Wings, Laine resumed his solo career, releasing a handful of albums over the years. His last studio work, The Blue Musician, arrived in 2008.

In late September 2023, Hines set up a GoFundMe page to help Laine recover from his critical illness. She noted at the time that he was too weak to even play his guitar. “For the previous two months, he’s been in and out of the hospital regarding an sickness in his lungs that developed after his quick bout with COVID final 12 months,” she wrote.

“He’s had multiple tests, X-rays and scans that are ongoing, along with three surgeries, most recently for a collapsed lung, which includes an inserted chest tube that is temporarily needed until his lung heals. He recently contracted a bacterial infection in his blood, which he is still battling, but seems to be under control.”

Laine’s battle with interstitial lung disease worsened over the past two months. “My world won’t ever be the identical,” Hines concluded her post announcing Laine’s death. “Denny was an amazingly fantastic particular person, so loving and candy to me. He made my days colourful, enjoyable and lively – identical to him. Thank you, sweetie, for loving me, for all of the laughter, friendship, enjoyable and for asking me to be your spouse. I’ll love you ceaselessly.”