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Source: http://www.classicrockmagazine.com

DEVO guitarist Bob Casale has died suddenly at the age of 61, it’s been confirmed.

Bob Casale 1952~2014 | Picture: Jules Bates/Artrouble

The founding member, who’d been part of every lineup of the band, suffered heart failure on Monday.

Casale’s co-founding brother Gerald says in a statement: “Bob was there in the trenches with me from the beginning. He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and a 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 came as a total shock to us all.”

The band got together in Akron, Ohio in 1972 and released their first album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! six years later. They achieved chart success with the single Whip It in 1980 and created a total of eight full-length records before splitting in 1991. They reunited in 1996 and went on to release ninth album Something For Everybody in 2010.

Former Devo drummer Alan Myers died last year after a battle against stomach cancer, aged 58.