RIP, Braindead Dave Devereaux (July 5*, 2011) Indie Record Store Owner
themusicsover Dave Devereaux
January 31, 1970 – July 5*, 2011
Dave Devereaux was the owner of Force Of Habit Records, a popular independent record store in the Mission District area of San Francisco, California. As a teenager, Devereaux moved with his family from Montreal, Canada to Southern California where he became obsessed with hard rock and punk, with Metallica, AC/DC and the Ramones being among his favorites. He also did some DJing, which is when he came up with the nickname of Braindead Dave. Devereaux eventually settled in San Fransisco, opening Force Of Habit in 2004, after building a worldwide customer following on eBay. The store, which specialized in rare punk, vinyl and collectables, quickly became a local hang-out for area teens and music lovers of all ages. One such loyalist was Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys fame who liked to pick through the shop’s 7″ single bins. Devereaux liked to support the local music scene as well, often showcasing live bands at his store. On July 5, 2011, paramedics discovered 41-year-old Dave Devereaux dead in his apartment. Authorities initially speculated that he passed away either on that day or the one prior, while early autopsy tests proved inconclusive. Foul play was not suspected, and according to online reports, Devereaux had been suffering from gastroesophageal problems in recent months.
*Date of death initially believed to be either July 4 or July 5, 2011.
Oystein Aarseth, known to fans as Euronymous, was the founding guitarist of Norwegian black metal band, Mayhem. Formed in 1983, the band went on to become one of the most influential Norwegian bands of the scene. The band was as controversial as it was popular, due in part, to their violent stage show along with the suicide of lead singer, Dead (
Ann Spencer Gates was a Boston area disc jockey and later, publicist for Matador Records. Moving from Buffalo to Boston for college in the late ’70s, Gates soon had a radio program on MIT’s hip WMBR radio station. She, along with friend Lisa “Sheena” Bucholz hosted “The Mystery Girls” where they were one of the first to champion such local bands as Lemonheads and Mission Of Burma. By the late ’80s, Gates was living in New York City where she went to work for Matador Records as a publicist, working with such acts as Liz Phair, Pavement, Cat Power and Bettie Serveert. Ann Spencer Gates died on July 6, 2008 after a long struggle with breast cancer.