Big Black (Dave Riley, pictured right)
Dave Riley, bassist of Big Black has passed away. He was 59 years old.
Riley was a key part of the core Big Black trio also composed of frontman–Steve Albini, and Naked Raygun’s Santiago Durango on guitar.
Riley appeared on Big Black’s 1986 full-length debut Atomizer, as well as on 1987’s Headache EP and Songs About Fucking.
Following the release of Songs About Fucking, Big Black disbanded. Meanwhile, Riley continued to play music in various bands such as Bull and Algebra Suicide.
Riley in 1993, however, suffered a major stroke and a head injury that left him wheelchair-bound.
His friend and former housemate Rachel Brown announced his death via Facebook, remarking on how he lived his life during the intervening years since his injury:
“Dave never let his disabilities get in the way of what he wanted to do in life. He created music, wrote, traveled, ran an online store and helped take care of the cats in our rescue-cat sanctuary.”
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