Alexis Gewertz Shepard

Who was Alexis Gewertz Shepard?

Alexis Gewertz Shepard was an American folk singer-songwriter. She led the Alexis Shepard Band, also including John Rapoza, Jerry O'Hare, and Mike Aiello. She was hit by a truck and died while riding her bicycle in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This occurred just before the planned recording of her debut album, and a group of Boston-area musicians, including Faith Soloway, Jenny Reynolds, and Esther Friedman, collaborated to release an album of Shepard's songs after her death.

Shepard's mother, Deborah Gewertz, is an anthropologist who studied the people of Papua New Guinea, and wrote about the ritual that commemorated Shepard's death in an article in Amherst magazine.

Her song "Purple Ray Gun" appeared posthumously on the Respond compilation album, a benefit for domestic violence causes, and the project was dedicated to her.