Al Barile, former guitarist for the rock band SSD, has tragically passed away at 63 years old. The straight edge hardcore rocker's wife, Nancy Barile, announced his death on Sunday in a heartbreaking final social media post. This comes after the guitarist's battle against rectal cancer.
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Hardcore Rock Guitarist Al Barile Dies At 63
"I wanted to let you know that Al Barile passed away this morning," said Nancy on Instagram. "I was with him. You all know he fought a hard, hard battle." Nancy revealed that her husband spent his last day happy with various loved ones.
"I never met anyone who was his own person as much as Al was," Nancy continued. "No one made me laugh more. There was always a story. We loved each other unbelievably, and my heart is crushed into a million pieces."
Al's wife shared how they spent 43 years together and how difficult it would be to continue life without him. Despite his death, she said she knew he would "ALWAYS be with me."
Nancy then thanked the fans for all their love for this rock legend. "I want you all to know how much Al appreciated your outpouring of love to him. It truly meant a great deal to him."
During this time of grief, Nancy then asked for fans of the Boston-native band to give the family time and space. "You know I will have a lot to say about Al's time on this earth and his impact and his legacy, as the days go on, but for now, I'm going to need some time to be with my closest friends and family." She shared these words alongside an anniversary video Al made for them a few years ago.
Although this was a devastating post to read from SSD (SS Decontrol) fans, Al's post two days before his death may be even more upsetting. The guitarist shared a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed with tubes attached to him.
"I almost died today," Al revealed. "My heart stopped. My prognosis isn't good." He then revealed his tragic fate to his followers. "I hope I have a few more days, weeks, months, but it looks like days. This may be my last post. I love Nancy."
Remembering Rock Legend Al Barile
Al Barile formed the band, formerly known as SS Decontrol, in the early '80s. They were a rock band from Boston with a heavy metal influence in their sound. The band eventually changed their name to SSD.
Al had always adored playing music as a child, according to Pitchfork, but he always compared himself to his classmates. Once he saw the Ramones in the last '70s, that's when he knew he had found his dream career. Before he even knew how to play guitar, he was creating a band in high school.
He officially created SS Decontrol in the summer of 1981 with himself on guitar, David "Springa" Spring as the lead singer, Jamie Sciarappa on bass, and Chris Foley on drums. They had to borrow money from Al's parents just to record and publish their debut album, The Kids Will Have Their Say.
In 2022, Al revealed that doctors diagnosed him with rectal cancer. Throughout his Instagram, you can see his cancer journey as he also faced various other illnesses.
