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Dave Allen, renowned for his role as the bassist in the influential British post-punk band Gang of Four and as a founder of Shriekback, has passed away at the age of 69.
The news of his death was shared by former bandmate Hugo Burnham on Sunday, April 6.
Burnham conveyed the heartbreaking news on Gang of Four’s Instagram, expressing, “It is with broken yet full hearts that we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend, and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning. He was at home with his family.”
Burnham went on to discuss Allen’s battle with mixed dementia, which had profoundly affected his family and friends. “Our love and thoughts are with them,” he remarked, adding, “Jon and I [Hugo] went to see him and spent a lovely afternoon with him and the family. We talked and laughed for hours, sharing rich memories of our intertwined lives, spanning half a century. We’ve been so very lucky to have had the Ace of Bass in our lives. We know that Dave would have wanted nothing more than to step onstage with us again in Portland on our farewell US tour. But it’s now a bridge too far. Goodbye, Old Friend.”
Allen’s journey with Gang of Four began in Leeds in 1976, alongside Burnham, Jon King, and Andy Gill. He made significant contributions to the band, most notably on their seminal debut album, 1979’s Entertainment!, and their follow-up, 1981’s Solid Gold. Though these albums did not achieve chart success in the United States, they garnered critical acclaim and left a lasting legacy, influencing numerous artists, including Michael Stipe, Flea, and Kurt Cobain, who regarded Entertainment! as one of his top albums in his posthumous collection, Journals.
In 1981, Allen established Shriekback with Barry Andrews, a venture that resulted in multiple albums and further exploration of his musical creativity.
He later rejoined Gang of Four during a reunion of the original lineup in the mid-2000s and also collaborated with various other projects, including The Elastic Purejoy and Low Pop Suicide.
The loss of Allen comes in the wake of fellow bandmate Gill’s passing in 2020, marking another significant moment in the history of the influential band.
Allen’s contributions to music extended beyond performance. He co-founded DinWorkshop, a consultancy and design studio that aimed to collaborate closely with musicians. His extensive career also included roles in artist relations and advocacy at Apple Music and Beats Music, business development at Intel focused on consumer digital audio services, and a tenure as general manager at eMusic during the late 1990s. He was a respected speaker at industry events such as SXSW, CMJ, and SF Music Tech, where he discussed the convergence of music and technology.
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www.billboard.com