Los Angeles Dodgers Organist Pays Tribute to Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher
The death of longtime Depeche Mode keyboardist Andy Fletcher last week at the age of 60 impacted many in the music community and the tributes since have been plentiful. One of the more interesting ones to have surfaced over the past week comes from Los Angeles Dodgers keyboardist Dieter Ruehle who spent a majority of the May 30 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates dropping multiple Depeche Mode selections for the fans in attendance as a nod to the late musician.
Depeche Mode have long had a strong fanbase in Los Angeles and famously recorded their 101 live album from their Rose Bowl performance in L.A. burb Pasadena. So it's no surprise that not only are there plenty of fans in the Dodger Stadium crowd, but one very passionate one playing the organ for the team.
On this evening, Ruehle worked through a number of D-Mode selections, with the video of him playing "Never Let Me Down Again" being shared via the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page as well as Ruehle's own Twitter account.
"Never Let Me Down Again in tribute to Andy Fletcher," wrote Ruehle in sharing his video, with the hashtags #RIPFletch #FarewellFletch. "Never Let Me Down" again is one of the band's most popular songs, appearing as the second single off their 1987 album Music for the Masses.
And Ruehle didn't stop there as a fan noted that his selections for the night also included "Strangelove," "Master and Servant," "Behind the Wheel" and "Walking in My Shoes."
Ruehle started with the Dodgers in 2013 as a fill-in, before taking over as the primary organist in 2016. He's also served as the Los Angeles Kings organist over two stints, starting in 1989 before taking a break in 1992, then resuming as their organist after 1998. He's also played organ for the Los Angeles Lakers, San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes and played at five different Olympic Games ceremonies.
And yes, he's a big time Depeche Mode fan, posing for the photo below after being introduced to Martin Gore back in 2017. That same year, he also shared video of himself performing "Enjoy the Silence."
Fletcher died on May 26 at the age of 60. He appeared on 14 Depeche Mode studio albums, starting with 1981's Speak & Spell and most recently working on 2017's Spirit album. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.
Get a closer look at Dieter Ruehle's performance of Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again" below.