Guitarist Joey Alves has passed away at the age of 63 from complications of his lung cancer. He was the original rhythm guitarist for Y&T. Vocalist of the band Dave Meniketti had this to say:
“It’s with great sadness that I write this today. Y&T’s original rhythm guitarist, Joey Alves, passed away at 7:10 this morning. He suffered from ulcerative colitis and other complications that led to his passing.
“Joey was one of the finest rock rhythm guitarists, and I’ll always remember playing next to him chunking out those monster chords with his classic red double cutaway ’59 Les Paul Jr.
“As Ronnie Montrose once said about Joey, ‘There are rhythm players, then there’s Joey. A class of his own…..’
“He was a fun guy who always played with attitude and conviction, and was responsible for writing some memorable riffs for Y&T over the years. His friendship and presence will be missed.
“This is a great loss for all the Y&T family and faithful. He now joins Phil and Leonard in rock and roll heaven.”
We would like to send our deepest condolences to his family and friends throughout this difficult time.
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