Gerald Casale

For the baseball player, see Jerry Casale.

Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale at the premiere of the documentary film Devo at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
Gerald Casale at the premiere of the documentary film Devo at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
Background information
Birth nameGerald Vincent Pizzute
Also known asJerry
Born (1948-07-28) July 28, 1948 (age 76)
Ravenna, Ohio, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • bass
  • synthesizer
  • guitar
Years active1972–present
Labels

Gerald Vincent Casale (/kəˈsɔːliː/ kə-SAW-lee) (né Pizzute; born July 28, 1948) is an American musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, co-lead vocalist and bass player of the new wave band Devo, which released a top 20 hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It". Casale is the main lyricist and one of the primary composers of Devo's music, as well as the director of most of the band's music videos.[4] He is one of only two members (along with lead singer and keyboardist Mark Mothersbaugh) who have been with Devo throughout its entire history. Casale's brother Bob also performed with the band.

Casale pursued a solo career in 2005 while still a member of Devo with the project Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers. The project received little promotion beyond a music video for the single "Army Girls Gone Wild". Jihad Jerry appeared at several shows near the end of Devo's 2006 tour, performing the song "Beautiful World". He has also performed occasionally with other bands.

Casale has also directed music videos for other recording artists, including the Cars ("Touch and Go", "Panorama"), Rush ("Mystic Rhythms", "Superconductor"), A Perfect Circle ("Imagine"), Foo Fighters ("I'll Stick Around"), Soundgarden ("Blow Up the Outside World") and Silverchair ("Freak", "Cemetery"), among others.[5]

  1. ^ Long, Pat (May 2, 2009). "Pat Long meets new wave 80s oddballs Devo, who are intent on making a comeback". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "Devo". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Steinberg and Michael Kehler (2010), p.355
  4. ^ Adams, Sam (June 30, 2010). "Devo's Gerald Casale". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  5. ^ "Gerald Casale videography". Archived from the original on January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.