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How did Gary Young die? Legendary Indie group Pavement's original drummer dies at 70

Gary Young was well-known for the stunts he used to pull off on stage while performing with Pavement

STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA: Gary Young, the original drummer of the iconic band Pavement, died on Thursday, August 17, in Stockton. The news was officially confirmed by Geri Bernstein, his wife.

Stephen Malkmus, the lead vocalist of Pavement, wrote on X, "Gary Young passed on today. Gary's pavement drums were 'one take and hit record'... Nailed it so well."

How did Gary Young die?

Young, a pivotal figure in the Stockton punk scene during the '80s, died following a prolonged period of health challenges. While the exact cause of his demise remains undisclosed, the icon's impact on the Indie music scene remains profound.

Paying tribute to Young's significant role in the band, Pavement shared a poignant message on Instagram, which read, "Garrit Allan Robertson Young put Pavement on the map. He recorded all of our records from the 'Slay Track's 7' through to the 'Watery, Domestic' EP. He did it all in his garage, a studio called Louder Than You Think."

Young was a part of the band, The Fall of Christianity, when he met Malkmus and Scott Kanneberg, culminating in the formation of Pavement in the late '80s.

"In the beginning, they had no drummer so I invited myself to play drums and next thing you know, I'm in the band," Young said, recalling that time.

He further said, "Here's the deal: When I first heard them, I did not understand it. I'd tell my friends in New York I just made this weird record and I don't really know how to describe it."

He added, "Three or four years later, I realized that we had really done something. But it took me a long time to figure it out," per USA Today.

Young's talent as a drummer came to light when the band recorded at his Louder Than You Think studio. This led to his role as the band's drummer, and his distinctive style became an inseparable part of their early records.

Young's energetic on-stage antics, including headstands among other captivating gestures, became a hallmark of Pavement's early performances. 

Young was with the band until their 1992 'Watery Domestic' EP, after which Steve West took over as the drummer. However, Young returned to produce two tracks on Pavement's 1999 'Major Leagues' EP.

Young even reunited with the band for select California concerts during their 2010 reunion tour.

Beyond his work with Pavement, Young also had a solo career, releasing three albums under the name Gary Young's Hospital. In 2016, he launched a solo album titled 'Malfunction'.

'Louder Than You Think', a documentary about Young's life, premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and won an audience award in March.

The documentary delves into "his booze and drugs-fueled antics (on-stage handstands, gifting vegetables to fans) and haphazard production methods (accidentally helping launch the lo-fi aesthetic) were both a driving force of the band’s early rise and the cause of his eventual crash landing," reads the film's description.