Bob Lewis (musician)
The sonic architect who co-founded Devo, channeling post-industrial absurdity into jerky rhythms and theory of de-evolution that reshaped 80s music.
Born 1947 (age 79)·American composer and musician·Birthday: March 4·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Lewis emerged from the rust-belt surrealism of Akron, Ohio, a key conspirator in the birth of Devo. Alongside friends Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, he helped forge the band's foundational philosophy and aesthetic, a satirical and grimly humorous take on 'de-evolution' inspired by the 1970 Kent State shootings. While not a permanent performing member on all recordings, Lewis was instrumental in the early conceptual and business groundwork, co-writing early material and contributing to their stark, industrial-tinged sound. His role was that of a strategic thinker and composer in the collective's formative years, helping shape the confrontational and intellectually charged package that would explode with 1980's 'Whip It.' His later career remained within music but away from the spotlight, involving composition and production work, yet his imprint on one of new wave's most distinctive and philosophically driven acts remains indelible.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the seminal new wave band Devo in Akron, Ohio, in the early 1970s.
- Co-wrote early Devo songs and contributed to the band's foundational concept and artistic direction.
- His work helped develop the band's unique blend of punk, electronic music, and social satire.
- Remained involved in music composition and production following his early work with Devo.
Did You Know?
He was a childhood friend of Devo co-founder Gerald Casale.
Lewis was involved in the management and business side of Devo's early career.
He is credited as a co-writer on several tracks on Devo's early albums, including 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!'
A legal dispute over songwriting credits and Devo's early history arose between Lewis and other band members in later years.
“We're through being cool. De-evolution is real.”
