Dave Allen, bassist of the highly influential Gang of Four, has died aged 69.

Gang of Four founder Hugo Burnham wrote in a statement on Instagram that Allen had been suffering from early-onset mixed dementia for several years.

"It is with broken yet full hearts that we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend, and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning," Burnham wrote. "Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends."

 

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Born in Kendal, England in 1955, Allen joined Gang of Four not long after their formation in 1976, replacing the original bassist Dave Wolfson. Their debut album, Entertainment!, released in 1979.

Gang of Four are considered one of the most important bands of the early post-punk movement, having influenced R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana and many other subsequent alternative acts.

Allen briefly left the band in 1981, forming Shriekback with Barry Andrews. He would also perform with Elastic Purejoy, Low Pop Suicide, King Swamp and Faux Hoax, all of whom were signed World Domination Recordings, which was founded by Allen.

He would later return to a reformed Gang of Four in the early 2000s and would primarily work with tech companies like Beats Music, Apple Music and Intel later in his life.