Alan Myers, drummer for post-punk icons Devo, has died. 

Myers passed away following an extended battle with cancer. As Slicing Up Eyeballs report, tidings of Myers’ death arrived via jazz saxophonist Ralph Carney, who revealed the news in a Facebook post.

Myers was the third drummer with the band, subbing in for Jim Mothersbaugh in 1976, and he played with the Ohio outfit until the late 1980s. During that period, Myers drummed on a number of the band’s most celebrated albums, including 1978’s debut LP Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, 1979’s Duty Now for the Future, and 1980’s Freedom Of Choice. Myers was not involved in the band’s subsequent flurry of touring and recording activity in the 2000s. Myers has played with a number of bands since, and was performing with an outfit called Skyline Electric up until his death.

Devo members have offered their sympathies online, with the band’s Gerard Casale writing:

“In praise of Alan Myers, the most incredible drummer I had the privilege to play with for 10 years. Losing him was like losing an arm. RIP!! I begged him not to quit Devo. He could not tolerate being replaced by the Fairlight and autocratic machine music. I agreed. Alan, you were the best – a human metronome and then some. A once in a lifetime find thanks to Bob Mothersbaugh. U were born to drum Devo!”

Current Devo drummer Josh Freese also paid tribute: “RIP Alan Myers. 1 of my all time favs. An underrated/brilliant drummer. Such an honor playing his parts w/Devo. Godspeed Human Metronome.”

Devo recently reissued classic demo collections Hardcore Vol. 1 and Hardcore Vol. 2. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! track ‘Mongoloid’ is below.