Original Devo Member Bob Casale Dies Aged 61

American new wave pioneers Devo have today confirmed the death of their guitarist and original member Bob Casale from heart failure. He was 61.

Brother and founder of the band Gerald Casale broke the news in a statement, saying, “As an original member of Devo, Bob Casale was there in the trenches with me from the beginning.

“He was 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.”

Fellow founding member Mark Mothersbaugh added, “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 [Mothersbaugh's music production company] 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.”

Formed in 1976, Devo became a household name on the back of their single Whip It. Largely active since the '70s, apart from a five-year hiatus during the '90s, they headlined Splendour In The Grass in 2008.