In April of this year, DeVille was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, and in June his wife revealed that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

DeVille fronted seventies New York punk band Mink DeVille who featured at New York's legendary CBGB club alongside Blondie and the Ramones. Their single ‘Spanish Stroll’, from the album Cabretta, was a top 20 in the UK.
His later solo work was inspired by Paris and Edith Piaf's music, and his music also developed a Latin tinge. He also scored a hit around Europe with ‘Italian Shoes’.
DeVille relocated to New Orleans in the nineties and in 1992 he released a mariachi version of the Jimi Hendrix hit ‘Hey Joe’ which won him new fans.