Punk rock has lost one of its most unique and ferocious talents with the passing of Cheetah Chrome, widely regarded as one of the first guitar heroes of punk.
Best known as lead guitarist for pioneering punk band the Dead Boys, the musician — whose real name was Eugene Richard O’Connor — was 71 years old.
His Bandmates Paid Tribute
The sad news of his passing was announced to the music world via the band’s official social media.
“We are incredibly sad to announce the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Cheetah Chrome,” the band wrote in an Instagram post.
“Cheetah was a true original, an architect of the punk rock movement,” the tribute continued.
“A one-man hurricane tearing up the musical landscape with his feral guitar riffs and manic energy,” the post stated. “Beyond all that Cheetah was also just a really sweet guy that loved rock-roll. We extend our deepest condolences to Cheetah’s family, friends and fans around the world. His music lives on and will continue to inspire others for generations to come. We ask for privacy during this difficult time. Godspeed Cheetah. Tony, Chris, Mark and the entire Dead Boys family.”
A Punk Pioneer
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cheetah Chrome first came to prominence as guitarist for wildly influetial protopunk Cleveland band Rocket From the Tombs.
He and drummer Johnny Blitz formed a new band, Frankenstein, alongside singer Stiv Bators, guitarist Jimmy Zero and bassist Jeff Magnum. Frankenstein quickly evolved into Dead Boys, which became one of the loudest and fiercest groups in the nascent American punk scene of the mid-1970s.
Dead Boys hit the ground running with the release of debut album “Young, Loud and Snotty” in 1977, featuring the iconic punk classic “Sonic Reducer.”
That was followed by Dead Boys’ sophomore release, “We Have Come for Your Children,” in 1978; the band broke up the following year.
Prior to their 1979 split, Dead Boys gained a reputation for aggressive, energetic performances in venues such as NYC’s iconic punk showcase CBGB.
The band reunited several times over the years, most notably a now-legendary 1986 reunion show at the Ritz in New York, called “Return of the Living Dead Boys.” After Bators passed away in 1990, the band continued to reunite, with the addition of different vocalists.
A Diverse Solo Career
After the Dead Boys’ breakup in 1979, Cheetah Chrome formed his own band, Cheetah Chrome and the Casualties.
He later went on to form another band with Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls, The Batusis.
In February 2012, Chrome embarked on a new musical journey when he was named creative director of A&R/director of special projects for Nashville-based alternative record label Plowboy Records.
A Guitar Influence
GettyIn 2011, Cheetah Chrome published his memoir, “A Dead Boy’s Tale: From the Front Lines of Punk Rock.”
As he told the Seattle Post Intelligencer while promoting the book, Dead Boys may have been raw and edgy, but they were also accomplished musicians.
“We had all put in the hours on our instruments, and as a band,” he recalled. “We rehearsed a LOT. And we were hungry, we wanted to make it. Bigger than we did, that’s for sure! What I think makes us one of the best is that we were a hell of a great live band; and that the music stands up today as well as it did then. ‘Young Loud and Snotty’ in particular …”
Among the many to pay tribute to the late punk pioneer was Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan.
In his tribute, McKagan wrote that Chrome’s “guitar playing and attack taught me so much about ‘edge’ and precision in punk and beyond.”
