Former Devo drummer Alan Myers dies

Alan Myers, the former longtime drummer for the band Devo, best known for "Whip It," has died after a battle with brain cancer.

Myers, 58, died Monday in Los Angeles, where he lived, Devo spokesman Michael Pilmer said Wednesday.

Myers was the band's drummer from 1976 to 1985 during Devo's heyday. The group was formed in Akron, Ohio. Devo co-founder Gerald Casale said Wednesday that without Myers, Devo never would have reached the heights it did, calling him the best drummer he has ever played with.

"We were mostly in basements and garages writing songs. It was Alan that brought everything to life," Casale said. "That was the catalyst where everything clicked." He called Myers "the human metronome." "People watching him thought we were using a drum machine," Casale said. "Nobody had ever drummed like that." -- AP