Pere Ubu’s David Thomas dead at 71

Pere Ubu singer David Thomas has died aged 71 following a long illness.

In a statement shared on the Pere Ubu page on Facebook, it was confirmed that Thomas died in Brighton and Hove, England, on April 23rd, 2025. He had his “wife and youngest step-daughter by his side” during his final moments.

The statement also noted: “MC5 were playing on the radio. He will ultimately be returned to his home, the farm in Pennsylvania, where he insisted he was to be ‘thrown in the barn’.”

The message continued: “David Thomas and his band have been recording a new album. He knew it was to be his last. We will endeavour to continue with mixing and finalising the new album so that his last music is available to all. Aside from that, he left instruction that the work should continue to catalog all the tapes from live shows via the official bandcamp page.”

It was also confirmed that Thomas had “nearly completed” work on his autobiography, which his loved ones will now finish. They will keep his Patreon running “as a community, run by communex.”

They also quoted Thomas’ words from the Frigo documentary, which reads, “My name is David Fucking Thomas… and I’m the lead singer of the best fucking rock n roll band in the world.”

The official statement powerfully concluded: “Long Live Pere Ubu”.

Pere Ubu formed in Cleveland in 1975, but Thomas was the only member who remained a mainstay for the entire period. During their lengthy career, they released 18 albums, with their final offering, Trouble On Big Beat Street, arriving in 2023.

Outside of his work with Pere Ubu, Thomas also released a number of solo albums and was previously a member of Rocket From The Tombs before forming his band in 1975.

During the later years of his life, Thomas lived with liver disease. He was also forced to cancel a series of shows in 2017 due to health problems, but later returned to the stage. Pere Ubu played live for the final time in 2023.