The facts behind the death of Los Angeles rock band The Long Ryders’ bassist, Tom Stevens, 64, have not been made public. His death’s circumstances have not been made public. Bandmates Sid Gryphon, who sings and plays guitar, Stephen McCarthy, who plays guitar, and drummer Greg Sowders released a statement expressing their sadness over their brother Tom Stevens’ untimely death. “We regret to inform you that our brother Tom Stevens has left us unexpectedly,” each of them wrote, “To all of our friends, fans, and family.
We ask that you please keep Tom, his devoted wife Elaine, Sarah, Zach, and James in your prayers. I appreciate your care very much. Tom loved you all and cherished each and every one of you. Play his amazing song “Let it Fly” and tell them how grateful you are for the time we were all able to spend together. Yes, in fact, that is the case. May you all experience love, peace, and the presence of Tom Stevens.
The early and mid-1980s saw the rise of the “Paisley Underground” movement, an alt-country sounding, psychedelic movement. The Long Ryders participated in and were a part of this movement.
The bands that followed this pattern included The Dream Syndicate, Green on Red, The Three O’Clock, Rain Parade, and The Bangles. Indiana native Stevens formed his first band, the hard rocking Magi, and put out one album under that name before relocating to Los Angeles to further his artistic aspirations. Stevens is a musician with a vast history in music.
Gryphon broke split with his punk band The Unclaimed, which had been around since the 1960s, during a November 1981 jam session at the ON Klum in Silverlake. He then teamed up with Sowders, who had once played drums for the Boxboys.
McCarthy joined the band as a guitarist who loves country music. He did so by responding to an ad for “Musicians Wanted” that was published in a local free Korean daily. This ultimately led to the formation of The Long Ryders.
