Bob Casale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bob Casale |
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Casale performing live, 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Edward Pizzute Jr. |
| Also known as | Bob 2 |
| Born | July 14, 1952 Kent, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 2014 (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1973–2014 |
Robert Edward Casale Jr. (born Robert Edward Pizzute Jr.; July 14, 1952 – February 17, 2014), also known as "Bob 2", was an American musician, composer, and record producer. He became famous in the late 1970s as the rhythm guitarist and keyboard player for the new wave band Devo. The band had a Top 20 hit in 1980 with their song "Whip It". Devo has remained popular with a dedicated group of fans. Bob Casale was the younger brother of Gerald Casale, who helped start the band and played bass guitar.
Early Life
Robert Edward Pizzute Jr. was born on July 14, 1952, in Kent, Ohio. His father had changed his last name to Pizzute, but later changed it back to Casale in the same year Bob was born. Bob Casale finished high school at Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1970. He first trained to be a radiographer, which is someone who takes X-rays.
Music Career
Joining Devo
In the early 1970s, Bob Lewis and Gerald Casale came up with the idea of "devolution." This idea suggested that humans were actually getting less advanced, not more. This thought came to them after Gerald's friend Jeffrey Miller was killed during the Kent State shootings. Bob Casale joined Devo in 1973 after his brother Gerald asked him to.
After some changes in the band's members, Bob Casale became part of the most well-known five-person group. This group included two sets of brothers: the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob). Alan Myers was their drummer. Bob Casale once said they started the band because it was a quick way to express themselves without needing much money or permission from others.
After their sixth album, Shout, didn't sell well, their record company, Warner Bros., stopped working with Devo. Soon after, Alan Myers left the band because he felt he wasn't being creative enough. This caused the band to cancel plans for a Shout video and a tour. During this time, Bob Casale started working as an audio engineer. In 1987, Devo got back together with a new drummer, David Kendrick. The band stopped performing in 1991 but started playing music again in 1995.
In Devo concerts, Bob Casale played lead and rhythm guitar and keyboards. He also worked with MIDI sampling, which is using computers to create and control music sounds. He also sang backing vocals, both on their albums and during live shows.
Other Projects
As Devo's main popularity slowed down in the mid-1980s, the band members started working on their own projects. Bob Casale began a new career as an audio engineer and record producer. He helped mix and engineer Mark Mothersbaugh's first solo album, Muzik for Insomniaks, in 1985.
Bob Casale also produced and engineered music for other artists. For example, in 1986, he worked on an album for Martini Ranch. This project also included Alan Myers and Mark Mothersbaugh. Later that year, he engineered the first solo album for the Police's guitarist, Andy Summers, called XYZ.
In 1989, Bob Casale and other Devo members were part of a project called Visiting Kids. They released an EP (a short album) in 1990. This band included Mark Mothersbaugh's wife, Nancye Ferguson, and Bob's daughter, Alex Mothersbaugh. Bob Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh produced their record.
Later, Bob Casale became part of a music production group called Mutato Muzika with other Devo members. Through this group, Casale worked on music for many TV shows and movies. Some of his work includes Four Rooms, Happy Gilmore, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Rugrats Go Wild.
Death
On February 17, 2014, Bob Casale passed away at age 61 in Los Angeles, California. His death was caused by heart failure. His brother Gerald explained that Bob went to the emergency room because he was coughing up blood. He was scheduled for tests. During these tests, Bob became "agitated" and was given a medicine to calm him down. After this, his blood pressure dropped very low. He was given another medicine, but his heart stopped, and doctors could not get it started again.
He is survived by his brother Gerald and his two children, Alex and Samantha.
Devo went on a tour in the U.S. and Canada in June and July 2014. They played ten shows featuring their early "experimental music" from 1974 to 1978. This tour was called the "Hardcore Devo" tour and was planned to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Some of the money from these shows went to support Bob Casale's family.
Bob Casale was cremated. His ashes were placed in a special urn that was shaped like a Devo energy dome, which is a famous red hat that Devo often wore.
Discography
