The rock world lost one of its most distinctive voices when Alex Ligertwood, best known for his decades-long association with Santana, died at his Santa Monica residence on May 1, 2026. The Scottish vocalist was 79.
His wife and agent, Shawn Brogan, shared the news through a Facebook post on the evening of May 2, revealing that Ligertwood “passed peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side yesterday.” The Brogan Agency made official confirmation the following day, though no cause of death was disclosed.
“It’s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet, dear Alex Ligertwood, my husband of 25 years. We knew each other for 36 years,” Brogan wrote.
She requested prayers for herself and their three children: daughters Merci and Kali, along with son Brandon.
Decades With Santana
The Glasgow native served as Carlos Santana’s longest-serving lead vocalist in the post-Woodstock period, fronting the band through five distinct periods from 1979 to 1994. His tenure produced memorable tracks including “You Know That I Love You,” “Winning,” “All I Ever Wanted,” and “Hold On.”
Ligertwood wasn’t merely a vocalist — he shaped the band’s material as a songwriter too, penning songs like “Somewhere in Heaven” and “Make Somebody Happy.” His studio albums with the group include “Marathon” from 1979, “Zebop!” from 1981, “Shango” from 1982, and the 1993 concert recording “Sacred Fire: Live in South America,” which captured him performing with Jorge and Carlos Santana during what fans consider the band’s creative zenith.
In his memoir, Santana reflected on what Ligertwood brought to the band. “He became the voice of Santana on many of our albums and on most of our tours in the ’80s and into the ’90s,” Santana wrote. “He can make you feel God in his singing — as he did when he sang ‘Somewhere in Heaven’ on the Milagro album in ’92. You believe him.”
Perhaps his most visible moment came on July 13, 1985, when he led Santana’s performance at Live Aid before approximately 1.9 billion viewers across the globe.
A Career Beyond One Band
Though Santana brought him international recognition, Ligertwood built an impressive résumé working with numerous influential artists. During the early 1970s, he sang with guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck in the Jeff Beck Group. He later joined keyboardist Brian Auger — whose own collaborators included Rod Stewart and Jimi Hendrix — in Oblivion Express, where he developed the jazz-rock fusion approach that became his trademark. Additional collaborations included French group Troc in the early 1970s, American rock outfit the Dregs during the 1980s, and Go Ahead, a Grateful Dead offshoot project, in the mid-to-late 1980s.
Musicians and critics praised his vocal approach as both soulful and technically audacious, capable of handling everything from straightforward rock anthems to intricate jazz-rock compositions with equal authority.
Performing to the Final Days
Ligertwood remained musically active through his last weeks, delivering his final performance approximately two weeks before his death. Most recently, he’d been touring with guitarist Brandon Paul in Icons of Classic Rock, performing material spanning his extensive career.
His daughter Merci reflected on his dedication to performing. “My dad loved many things,” Merci said. “At the forefront were his family & friends, music, and Scotland. He continued doing shows up until the very end, just the way he wanted.”
Paul praised his touring partner as “a world-class professional” whose voice was “a force of nature — soulful, from the heart, and legendary every single night.” He added that having “a vocalist who worked with icons like Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck compliment my guitar playing is something I will carry with me forever.”
Remembering a Distinctive Voice
Brogan’s announcement, which included photographs of the musician, sparked immediate reactions from fans and colleagues who recalled him as generous, warm, and dedicated to his craft.
Ligertwood is survived by his wife, three children, and a recorded legacy that friends say reflects an artist who fully embodied his performances rather than simply executing them.