Tony Sly obit

Tony Sly (November 4, 1970 - July 31, 2012)

He was not on the list. 

The loss of a loved one is a stark reminder of how short life really is, especially when they go before their time. Last week, Tony Sly was taken too soon, dying peacefully in his sleep at age 41. He is survived by his wife Brigitte, their two daughters Fiona and Keira, his brothers Mike and Jonathan Sly, and his parents Pauline and John Sly. In our time of grief it has been the stories from all over the world shared by band members, friends, and fans that have brought solace in an inconsolable time. To his family, he was a loving husband, a father, a brother, and a son; to us he was a loyal friend, an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. He was a man unafraid to bare his soul to the world. Throughout his lifetime as a musician, whether it was fronting No Use For a Name, or during his solo career, it was as if he was speaking directly to each of us, and because of that, each of us felt a special connection to him. Of course the real connection was to his family, and his loved ones, but somehow when he sang “International You Day” (for Brigitte of course) you felt that he was singing to you. Thank you, Brigitte, Fiona, and Keira, for sharing him with us. He was loved by so many, and will be forever missed.

With a heavy heart we will say goodbye to Tony this Friday, August 10th in San Jose at Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, located at 80 South Market Street. Service starts at 9:30AM. Please arrive early as the street will be closed due to the area Jazz Festival. The service is public in hopes that all of you, friends and fans, who have loved and supported Tony, can join us to celebrate his life and his legacy.

Tony Sly joined No Use for a Name as lead guitarist in 1986. He later took on vocal duties full-time in 1989 when previous vocalist Chris Dodge left the band. Their first album Incognito was released in 1990 on the label New Red Archives and featured a heavy but melodic hardcore punk sound. The band's second album Don't Miss the Train was released in 1992 and featured a much more melodic hardcore sound.

The band's third album ¡Leche con Carne!, which was released in 1995, was their debut on the Fat Wreck Chords label, though they released an EP titled The Daily Grind on the label in 1993. The album marked a change of musical style going from hardcore punk more into punk rock and skate punk. Also in 1993, guitarist Robin Pfefer replaced Chris Dodge and took the position of the lead guitarist, allowing Tony Sly to focus on singing and playing rhythm guitar instead.

In 2004, Tony Sly, along with Lagwagon front man Joey Cape released a split acoustic album. Acoustic was released on May 18, 2004, through Fat Wreck Chords and featured 12 tracks: acoustic renditions of No Use for a Name and Lagwagon songs performed by each respective member, along with two new exclusive tracks, one by each member.

On July 10, 2007, No Use for a Name released a best of compilation, titled All the Best Songs. The compilation marked the band's 20th anniversary together and included 24 previously released remastered singles, plus two previously unreleased songs.

Sly went on his first solo acoustic tour in March 2009. On February 16, 2010, 12 Song Program (produced by Jamie McMann), Tony Sly's first album as a solo acoustic artist was released through Fat Wreck Chords. On February 6, 2010, Sly started his solo tour in support of the album with a few North American dates, where he was joined by former No Use for a Name bandmate Chris Shiflett. On February 17, 2010, Sly started his first solo European tour, where he toured alongside Lagwagon's Joey Cape and Drag the River's Jon Snodgrass, until March 10, 2010. Tony Sly spent the rest of the spring touring in support of NOFX and Teenage Bottlerocket on their co-headline tour, then joining Joey Cape on a short Australian tour in the summer.

Sly was due to record the next No Use for a Name album in late 2010, for a spring 2011 release. It would have been the first new album from the band since 2008's The Feel Good Record of the Year. These plans were pushed back when Sly decided to record a second solo album.

In December 2010, Sly announced that he was in the studio recording songs for a Japanese split EP. On December 29, 2010, he commented that the Japanese split EP songs came out well, and that he was gathering material for a new full-length solo album.