Gerald Casale
He co-founded the art-rock band Devo, channeling post-industrial anxiety into spud-boy satire and a new wave anthem that cracked the Top 20.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American musician·Birthday: July 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Gerald Casale was a Kent State art student when the 1970 shootings radicalized his worldview, convincing him that humanity was in a state of de-evolution. With friend Mark Mothersbaugh, he forged Devo from this concept, a band equal parts philosophical prank and sharp social critique. As bassist, co-vocalist, and chief lyricist, Casale gave Devo its sardonic, corporate-mutant persona. He also directed most of their pioneering music videos, creating a stark, stylized visual language that became synonymous with early MTV. Beyond Devo's initial surge, his work as a video director for other artists and his steadfast commitment to the band's peculiar vision has cemented his status as a foundational figure in alternative music's intersection with visual art.
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.
Gerald was born in 1948, 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 Gerald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Gerald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential new wave band Devo, serving as its primary lyricist and a chief composer.
- Directed the majority of Devo's innovative and stylistically cohesive music videos.
- Co-wrote and performed on the 1980 hit 'Whip It,' which reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Is one of only two constant members throughout Devo's entire history, from 1973 onward.
Did You Know?
He witnessed the Kent State shootings in 1970, a pivotal event that directly inspired Devo's philosophy of 'de-evolution.'
His late brother, Bob Casale, was also a longtime member of Devo, known as 'Bob 1.'
He directed music videos for artists like The Cars, Foo Fighters, and Soundgarden.
He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Kent State University.
“We're through being cool. We are Devo.”
