Alex Ligertwood, the Scottish singer renowned for his work with Santana from 1979 to 1994, has died at age 79. His wife Shawn Brogan confirmed he passed away peacefully at his Santa Monica home on April 30. Ligertwood performed his final show just weeks before his death.
Alex Ligertwood died on April 30 at his home in Santa Monica, California, his wife and agent Shawn Brogan announced in a statement shared on social media. “It’s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood,” Brogan wrote. “Alex died peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side.” She added, “Alex was loved by so many. If you knew him, you loved him. He touched so many with his extraordinary voice. He was all heart and soul.” No cause of death was disclosed, and Brogan noted he had performed his last show about two weeks earlier, spanning a six-decade career. Born in Glasgow on December 18, 1946, Ligertwood began in skiffle bands in the 1950s and rose through groups like The Senate. Before Santana, he sang with the Jeff Beck Group, Average White Band, and Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express. His soulful voice defined Santana’s AOR era on albums such as Marathon (1979), Zebop! (1981), and Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993), including hits like “Winning,” “Hold On,” and “You Know That I Love You.” Santana praised Ligertwood in his memoir, writing, “Alex fit right in. He became the voice of Santana on many of our albums and on most of our tours in the ‘80s and into the ‘90s. He can make you feel God in his singing.” Tributes poured in, including from Brian Auger on X: “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. The big band in the sky just got infinitely better with Alex’s arrival.” Ligertwood released his solo album Outside the Box in 2019 and continued performing live in recent years.
