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Tributes are paid to new wave drummer Alan Myers

Tributes are paid to new wave drummer Alan Myers

TRIBUTES have been paid to the new wave drummer Alan Myers who has passed away at the age of 58.

Mr. Myers was a former member of the band Devo and in recent years had been playing improvisational music.

He had been with Devo from 1976 until 1985 and played on their seminal albums Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1976) and Freedom Of Choice (1980). He also performed on the band’s biggest hit Whip It (see below).

Despite his success with the band, Mr. Myers made no secret of the fact that he was unfulfilled musically and he eventually decided to move on — initially to pursue jazz as well as experimenting with other musical genres.

In recent years he had concentrated his efforts in playing improvisational music with his wife Christine in the group Skyline Electric and with Swahili Blonde alongside his daughter Leana Mayers-Ionita.

Mr. Myers passed away in Los Angeles after suffering from cancer.

The many tributes were led by the co-founders of Devo, Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh.

Mr. Casale tweeted: “In praise of Alan Myers, the most incredible drummer I had the privilege to play with for 10 years. Losing him was like losing an arm. R.I.P. I begged him not to quit Devo. Alan, you were the best — a human metronome and then some.”

Mr. Mothersbaugh said: “I think he probably influenced a lot of drummers that are out there now because he was really great at being very precise and minimalist. We always regretted it when he left.”

To see Mr. Myers playing with Devo on their hit Whip It, click here.

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