Dave Allison, the original guitarist and a founding member of Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, has died. He was 68.
Allison’s death was announced by Anvil in a social media post. No cause of death was shared.
“We’d like to send our deepest condolences to the Allison family and friends. Dave passed away this morning,” Anvil wrote in a post to X on Monday. “He was a close friend and we will miss him. He was proud of his early contributions to Anvil and his name and legacy lives on. Rest in peace DAVE SQUIRLY ALLISON.”
Allison co-founded Lips, which later renamed to Anvil, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1973 alongside lead singer Steve “Lips” Kudlow, drummer Robb Reiner and bassist Ian Dickson. He played on Anvil’s first five studio albums before departing the band in 1989.
After leaving Anvil, Allison said he “pretty much quit playing” but was working with musicians to write and record songs, he said during a 2017 interview with Alikivi UK. Also in 2017, Allison returned to Anvil for one final send-off show near his hometown Ontario at the Historic Red Dog in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Reiner and Kudlow both issued statements recognizing Allison’s death.
“Had the opportunity this Spring to pay a unplanned surprise visitto Dave’s isolated cabin …Loneliness was no stranger to him,” Reiner wrote in a Facebook post. “To say he was in shock was an understated fact..blown away was more like it…and so was I..The visit covered memories (many) and exposed his dire state ..He was not well .. clearly. Together we planned a dinner that unfortunately never happened ..R.I.P. my old friend.”
“Rest in peace Dave Allison January 5, 1956 to September 30, 2024…we will miss you brother!!,” Kudlow wrote in an Instagram post.
