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Randall Bewley

{{Short description|American guitarist (1955–2009)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Randall Bewley

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Randall Bewley

| alias = Randy Bewley

| birth_date = {{birth date|1955|7|25}}

| birth_place = Bradenton, Florida, US

| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|2|25|1955|7|25}}

| death_place = Athens, Georgia, US

| instrument = {{Hlist|Guitar|bass|drums}}

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| occupation = {{Hlist|Musician|songwriter}}

| years_active = 1978–2009

| genre = {{Hlist|New wave|post-punk}}

| label = {{Hlist|Caution|DB|Sky|DFA}}

| past_member_of = {{Hlist|Pylon|Supercluster|Soundhouses}}

}}

Randall Eugene Bewley (July 25, 1955 – February 25, 2009) was the guitarist for the Athens, Georgia-based band Pylon.

Life and career

Bewley was born in Bradenton, Florida. He lived in Sarasota, Florida, Washington, D.C., and near Atlanta, Georgia, while growing up. Bewley attended the University of Georgia's Lamar Dodd School of Art where he met Michael Lachowski, a fellow art student.{{cite web |first=Jason |last=Ankeny |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pylon-mn0000315118/biography |title=Pylon Biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=2024-11-23}} They became roommates and decided to form a band. He and Lachowski, along with fellow art students Vanessa Briscoe Hay and Curtis Crowe, formed Pylon, having their first performance in 1979.{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2020/07/pylon-band-athens-georgia-history-video-cool-town.html |title=The Birth and Death of Pylon, America's Best Rock Band |last=Hale |first=Grace Elizabeth |date=8 July 2020 |website=Slate}} On their first trip to New York City, they were reviewed in Interview Magazine.{{Cite web |website=Pitchfork |date=10 November 2020 |first=Marc |last=Masters |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pylon-pylon-box/ |title=Pylon Box: Pylon}}

Bewley was a very influential guitarist and used the guitar to create not just notes, but interesting sounds as well.{{cite web |last=Cohan |first=Brad |url=http://observer.com/2016/07/americas-other-best-band-pylons-brilliant-punk-minimalism-lives-on/ |title=America's (Other) Best Band: Pylon's Brilliant Punk Minimalism Lives On |date=25 July 2016 |website=Observer}} Pylon recorded three albums, three singles and one EP.{{Cite book |title=The Great Indie Discography |last=Strong |first=M. C. |year=2003 |publisher=Canongate |location=Edinburgh |isbn=1-84195-335-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatindiediscog0000stro/page/469/mode/1up |page=469 |author-link=Martin C. Strong}} The band has opened for U2, R.E.M., the B-52's, Talking Heads and Gang of Four.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/randy-bewley-guitarist-khrx0nghx8x |title=Randy Bewley: guitarist |date=18 March 2009 |newspaper=The Times |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241123174702/https://www.thetimes.com/article/randy-bewley-guitarist-khrx0nghx8x |archive-date=23 November 2024 |url-status=live}} Pylon broke up twice, but they reunited and had been playing occasional shows.{{Cite news |last=Hurt |first=Edd |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/features/article/20994031/pylon-reenactment-society-carries-the-flame-for-athens-postpunk-legends |title=Pylon Reenactment Society Carries the Flame for Athens Post-Punk Legends |work=Nashville Scene |date=1 March 2018}} Pylon's first album Gyrate was reissued in October 2007 by DFA records. Chomp was reissued in 2009.

Bewley was an art teacher for a while, but towards the end of his life, he devoted more time to his music and his own art. He also played with two other Athens projects: Sound Houses (formerly The New Sound of Numbers) and Supercluster.

Death

On February 23, 2009, Bewley was driving on Barber Street in Athens when he suffered a heart attack. According to a statement by his band Pylon, his van drifted off the road and overturned.{{cite web|url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/66958/pylon|title=Pylon Guitarist Suffers Heart Attack|accessdate=2009-03-04|date=2009-02-26|publisher=idiomag}} He was admitted to Athens Regional Medical Center and lapsed into a coma; he died two days later on February 25 when he was removed from life support. He was 53.{{cite web|url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/entertainment/stories/2009/02/25/randy_bewley_pylon.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm|title=Pylon Guitarist Randy Bewley dies|publisher=Access Atlanta|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301120502/http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/entertainment/stories/2009/02/25/randy_bewley_pylon.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm|archivedate=2009-03-01}}

Discography

Pylon

Supercluster

Other

Video

  • Beep (1990), Pylon, from CD: Hits, a compilation, DB Records
  • Look Alive (1992), Pylon, from album :Chain, Sky Records

Filmography

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://pylon.band/ Pylon official web site]
  • [http://pylon.tch3.com/ PARTY ZONE: a tribute to Pylon]
  • [http://pylon.pyrzqxgl.com/ Pylon unofficial web site]
  • [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5202|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic entry on Pylon]
  • [https://www.myspace.com/wearepylon Pylon MySpace web page]
  • [https://www.myspace.com/supercluster1 Supercluster MySpace web page]

{{Pylon (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bewley, Randall}}

Category:1955 births

Category:2009 deaths

Category:University of Georgia alumni

Category:Guitarists from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:People from Bradenton, Florida

Category:American rock guitarists

Category:American male guitarists

Category:American new wave musicians

Category:20th-century American guitarists

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:Pylon (band) members