Bob Casale, guitarist and founding member of new wave weirdo group Devo, died suddenly from heart failure on Monday, according to a post on the band’s official Twitter account. Known by fans as “Bob 2” since playing alongside guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh, Casale was 61.
Devo singer and co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh released the following statement: “We are shocked and saddened by Bob Casale’s passing. He not only was integral in DEVO’s sound, he worked over twenty years at Mutato, collaborating with me on sixty or seventy films and television shows, not to mention countless commercials and many video games. Bob was instrumental in creating the sound of projects as varied as “Rugrats” and Wes Anderson’s films. He was a great friend. I will miss him greatly.”
In a Facebook post, his brother and fellow Devo member Gerald Casale eulogized Bob Casale as “my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got. He was excited about the possibility of Mark Mothersbaugh allowing Devo to play shows again. His sudden death from conditions that lead to heart failure came as a total shock to us all.”
Founded in 1972, Devo actively toured in recent years, including a televised performance playing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Former Devo drummer Alan Meyers, a member from 1976 to 1986, passed away last year.
Photo: Gary Wolstenholme/Redferns
