Alan Myers (DEVO) obit

ALAN MYERS, DEVO’s longtime drummer, died Monday in L.A. of brain cancer. He was 58.The band’s drummer during its heyday, from 1976 to 1985, Myers wasn’t an original member, but he laid down the spasmodic groove for DEVO’s first hit, an inspired reimagining of the Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Founding member Gerry Casale told the AP on Wednesday that Devo would never have reached the heights it did without Myers, whom he called the best drummer he had ever played with. “We were mostly in basements and garages writing songs. It was Alan that brought everything to life,” said Casale. “That was the catalyst where everything clicked. People watching him thought we were using a drum machine. Nobody had ever drummed like that.” (6/27a)