Devo guitarist Bob Casale dead at 61

Bob Casale, the guitarist for Devo, best known for the 1980 hit "Whip It," died of heart failure, his brother and band member Gerald Casale said Tuesday. He was 61.

The Devo founding member said in a statement that his younger brother's death Monday was "sudden" and "a total shock."

"As an original member of Devo, Bob Casale was there in the trenches with me from the beginning," Gerald Casale said in a statement, which was posted on the band's Facebook page. "He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got. He was excited about the possibility of Mark Mothersbaugh allowing Devo to play shows again. His sudden death from conditions that lead to heart failure came as a total shock to us all."

The Ohio-based Devo released its Brian Eno-produced debut, "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!," in 1978. The new wave band reached platinum status with 1980's "Freedom of Choice," which featured "Whip It."

Last year, Devo lost its drummer, Alan Myers, after a battle with brain cancer.