Family Confirms ‘Saturday Night Live’ Alum’s Passing: Georg Wadenius Was 80

Sweden-born musician Georg “Jojje” Wadenius, best known for his work with Blood, Sweat & Tears and the Saturday Night Live Band, has died. He was 80.

Wadenius’ family confirmed the artist’s “sudden passing” on the morning of May 1, but didn’t share any details about his cause of death.

“It is with great sorrow that Jennifer Gilman and I share the news of our father, Georg Wadenius’s sudden passing,” his family wrote on Facebook in an announcement translated from Swedish. “Our family will share more information about memorial ceremonies and ways to honor his legacy and memory soon.”

Born on May 4, 1945, in Stockholm, Sweden, Wadenius attended Adolf Fredrik’s Music School before going on to appear on a number of Swedish hit records while playing with Swedish supergroups Made in Sweden and Solar Plexus in the early 1970s.

He then moved to the U.S., where he played with Blood, Sweat & Tears as the lead guitarist from 1972 to 1975.

In 1979, Wadenius joined the Saturday Night Live Band, playing with the NBC sketch show’s house band until 1985.

Wadenius went on to work with other well-known artists as a session player and touring musician, including Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Dr. John, David Sanborn, James Brown, Marianne Faithfull, Paul Simon, Joe Thomas, Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Donald Fagen, Doug Katsaros, Michael Franks, and Luther Vandross, as well as other Swedish artists.

Wadenius also went on to have a prolific career as a children’s musician, releasing albums such as Goda, Goda and Puss, Puss, Sant, Sant with lyrics by Barbro Lindgren.

Wadenius continued to play music professionally until his death, performing less than a week before his passing with Swedish singer Helen Sjöholm.

He is survived by daughters Annika Wadenius Erlich and Jennifer Gilman.