Bob Casale

Bob Casale, nicknamed 'Bob 2' to distinguish him from the band's other Bob (Mothersbaugh), was recruited into Devo by his older brother, co-founder Gerald Casale. An electrical engineering student turned musician, he brought a technician's precision to the group's left-of-center new wave. As rhythm guitarist and keyboardist, his role was often to lay down the taut, interlocking grooves that made Devo's music both mechanistic and danceable, a crucial element in hits like 'Whip It.' For over four decades, through shifting lineups and cultural phases, Casale remained a constant, reliable presence on stage and in the studio, the quiet engine helping to power the band's eccentric vision. His death in 2014 was a profound loss for the Devo family, silencing a key architect of their singular sound.