Doug Shaw, a fixture of the indie underground scene in New York, best known for his work as Highlife, has passed away.
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The London native, who moved to NYC in 2003, according to Pitchfork, died of a stroke at home on May 26.
Shaw was 43.
Known to many as “Sleepy” Doug Shaw, the musician also played with bands like Gang Gang Dance and White Magic. Over his career, he performed with artists such as Lou Reed, Mdou Moctar, and Sonic Youth, taking on various roles in different groups.
Starting in 2010, he released solo music as Highlife. His most recent work was last year’s A Shaw Deal, a collaboration with Geologist of Animal Collective.
The late musician’s label, Drag City, paid tribute to Shaw in the wake of his sudden death.
“Whether you knew Doug from Gang Gang Dance, White Magic, Highlife, or by his ‘Sleepy’ nom-du-profession, he was a dude of incredible energies, as capable of bubbling over effervescently as getting deep down inside,” the label wrote in part alongside a candid snapshot.
“We recognized him as a deep-thinker, a real freak, and a picker unto himself,” the label continued. “When he played the guitar, one felt in the presence of the absolute latest in the name of the real folk blues, a mirage of history conjured, rolling over the hills and the ocean beyond, far away…”
Collaborator and Longtime Friend Plays Tribute to Doug Shaw: ‘Our Music Community Will Not Be the Same’
Dirty Projectors alum Angel Deradoorian also paid tribute to Shaw on Instagram, writing in part, “Doug, the world will not be the same without you. Our music community will not be the same without you. The absence of your physical presence will be deeply felt.”
She also highlighted their adventures together, writing, “We got to play concerts together. Ride bikes. Go to the beach. Play a concert at the Shaolin Temple. You were the resident cougher on Sweet Leaf for our Black Sabbath band.”
“You were always everywhere all at once, and continue to be even more now.”
“I love you so much, Doug,” she concluded.
On May 31, Brooklyn venue Union Pool, a frequent haunt of Shaw’s, held a gathering in his honor.