What happened to Dave Allen? Gang of Four bassist dies at 69

Dave Allen, a former member of Gang of Four, died on April 5 at the age of 69. The announcement was made on the official Instagram page of the Gang of Four, where the band revealed the reason behind his sad demise. According to the statement made by the band, Dave Allen faced early-onset mixed dementia, which he battled for years.

The band also shared a memory by writing,

"Jon and I [Hugo] went to see him and spent a lovely afternoon with him and the family. We talked and laughed for hours, sharing rich and vivid memories of good times together. Adventures, careers in music, raising families, our interwoven lives spanning half a century. We’ve been so very lucky to have had the Ace of Bass in our lives."

The post got many heartfelt messages from fans around the world, who remembered the singer for his talent and shared tributes.

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When did Dave Allen join Gang of Four?

Dave Allen joined Gang of Four, an English post-punk band, in 1976 as a bassist, replacing the previous bassist, Dave Wolfson. The other original band members included Jon King, Andy Gill, and Hugo Burnham. However, the singer left the band in 1981 after 5 years after producing two albums with the band, which include Entertainment! and Solid Gold.

Allen formed Shriekback in 1981 with Barry Andrews, a former XTC member, and Carl Marsh, who joined shortly afterwards. However, he left the band in 1988.

He also started World Domination Recordings in 1989, along with co-founding three bands. He played singer and songwriter for The Elastic Purejoy, bassist in Low Pop Suicide, and King Swamp.

In November 2004, Dave Allen reunited with the original Gang of Four lineup. The band further toured in the UK, Europe, Japan, and the US in 2005 and were loved by their fans around the world. That year, they also released an album, Return the Gift, with new versions of their old songs and remixes.

Outside of music, Allen worked at Intel, led the entertainment team at Overland Agency, ran his music label Pampelmoose, started his own digital firm called Fight, and joined Beats Music. He stayed on even after Apple took over the company.

His death has left fans devastated, with the music industry mourning his loss.

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The current members of Gang of Four include Hugo Burnham (drummer), Jon King (vocalist), Gail Greenwood (bassist), and Ted Leo (guitarist).