Willy DeVille Dies - Pollstar News

Willy DeVille, founder of seminal punk band Mink DeVille, has passed away at a hospital in New York City.

DeVille, 58, died August 6 at New York’s Cabrini Hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Mink DeVille, better known in Europe than in the States, got its start on the New York club scene in the ’70s.

Photo: AP Photo

Performing on stage during the Blue Balls Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, 2006.

The band was considered by many to be one of the most original groups in the punk genre for its mixture of R&B, blues, Dixieland and traditional French Cajun ballads.

In addition to scoring successful albums and singles with the band, DeVille also recorded a number of solo projects and was nominated for an Academy Award for his song “Storybook Love” from the 1987 cult-classic “The Princess Bride.”

DeVille is survived by his wife Nina.