Randy Bewley, guitarist for the band Pylon, passed away today after having a massive heart attack while driving his van on Monday. Athens Banner-Herald reports that Bewley’s Pylon band mate Vanessa Hay sent an email to supporters informing them of the incident, adding that Bewley’s car had flipped over following the heart attack. Bewley died shortly before 5 p.m. today.
Although Pylon was never commercially successful, they were hugely influential in their native Athens, Georgia. R.E.M. has cited them as an influence and even covered Pylon’s “Crazy” as the b-side to their 1985 single “Wendell Gee.” Pylon has shared the stage with many famous bands, including the Talking Heads, U2, and Mission of Burma.