Roger McLachlan, Little River Band Co-Founder, Dead at Age 71

​Roger McLachlan, the New Zealand-born bass guitarist who co-founded Australian rock band Little River Band, passed away at the age of 71 due to pancreatic cancer .

His death was confirmed by Michael Oliphant, frontman of McLachlan's subsequent band Late for Breakfast, who released the following statement:

"Roger didn't wish his struggle to be widely known and so chose to keep it just between family and a handful of friends," Oliphant said. "Roger was a wonderful friend, collaborator, musical powerhouse, absolute monster bass player and all-round naughty boy. Life will never be the same."

Born on January 15, 1954, in Riverton, New Zealand, McLachlan began his music career playing ukulele, then guitar, and by 12, he started playing bass. He

moved to Australia in 1974 to join the touring band for the stage musical Godspell.

In 1975, he became the original bassist for Little River Band, contributing to their first two albums, Little River Band and After Hours, and performing in over 300 shows before departing in 1976. He briefly rejoined the band in 1998 but left again due to the demands of touring.​

Beyond Little River Band, McLachlan had a prolific career, playing with the country-rock group Stars, the jazz-rock band Pyramid, and contributing to John Farnham’s hit “You’re the Voice.” He became a sought-after session musician in Australia. He also released a solo album, Roger This Roger That, in 2012.

He was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame New Zealand in 2008, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roger McLachlan was a respected and versatile musician who contributed to the Australian music scene for decades. His passing is a significant loss for the Australian and New Zealand music communities.