Former Santana singer Alex Ligertwood dies aged 79

Alex Ligertwood, the Scottish singer best known for his work with Santana, has died at the age of 79.

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. “It’s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood,” she wrote. “Alex died peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side.”

“Alex was loved by so many,” she added. “If you knew him, you loved him. He touched so many with his extraordinary voice. He was all heart and soul.”

Ligertwood had performed his final show just a few weeks earlier, capping a career that spanned six decades.

Ligertwood played with a wide range of artists, but is best remembered for his stints as lead vocalist with Santana between 1979 and 1994. His soulful voice helped to define that era of the Latin rock band, featuring on albums including ‘Marathon’ (1979), ‘Zebop!’ (1981) and ‘Sacred Fire: Live In South America’ (1993).

He sang on some of the band’s most beloved tracks, including ’Winning’, ‘Hold On’ and ‘You Know That I Love You’, during a period when they pivoted to more of an AOR style.

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. pic.twitter.com/FQ0p9lri79

— Brian Auger (@brianaugerb3) May 2, 2026

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 vocalist.

In recent years, he continued to perform live and he released a solo album ‘Outside The Box’ in 2019.

Among those to pay tribute were Brian Auger, the veteran British rock star and frontman of Brian Auger And The Trinity. Ligertwood had a stint in Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express in the early ’70s, and Auger wrote 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.”