We were saddened to learn that former Devo drummer Alan Myers died of Stomach cancer on June 24. He was 58.
Even though Myers was Devo’s third drummer, he performed with the band during its most successful period, from 1976 to his departure on 1986. During that time he recorded Devo’s first six releases, including Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty Now For The Future, and Freedom Of Choice.
Myers reportedly quit Devo due to his frustration over the band’s growing reliance on drum machines and sequences, but continued to perform in a number of bands, including his Skyline Electric, which he founded with his wife Christine (Sugiyama) Myers, and Swahili Blonde, which featured his daughter, Laena Geronimo (Myers-Ionita). He also worked in later years as an electrician.
Myers’ former bandmate Gerald Casales responded to the news on twitter, writing that Myers was “the most incredible drummer I had the privilege to play with for 10 years. Losing him was like losing an arm.”