Heavy metal fans are in mourning as GWAR frontman Chuck Varga has passed away. Varga, a founding member of the shock-rock heavy metal group, was 68. Following his passing, GWAR bassist Casey Orr issued a statement.
Per Deadline, the statement said, “He was one of a kind.” “As an artist, as a performer; as a scholar, and a gentleman. I’m better for having known him, and the world is lesser for his leaving. He is most likely being welcomed into Valhalla right now by Brockie and Smooty and all who went before. Raise your glass and tell his tales. Legends never die. Hail Varga! Hail Sexicutioner!”
Tributes Are Pouring in For GWAR Frontman Chuck Varga
Varga and the other original members of the group launched in Richmond, Virginia, in 1986. He stayed with GWAR through its breakout success, then left in 1996. After that, he left and returned multiple times, including from 2000 to 2002.
Then, he returned from 2014 until 2017. He returned to vocals in 2022. During his time away from the group, he founded Hyperreal Productions.
Regarding tributes, one person said on X, “We were just talking about how great GWAR is yesterday. RIP.” Someone else wrote, “RIP legend thanks for what you did for metal!”
Another person then mentioned his condition, saying, “Another loss…. what’s going on with all this cancer.”
Someone who knew Varga said, “Varga was married to a friend of mine. He was an amazingly kind man and extremely talented. The Coney Island USA community will miss him dearly. I witnessed the first day he met his wife, Bambi. It truly was love at first sight. RIP, Legend.”
The This Day in Metal account on X said, “Varga helped shape GWAR’s unique world through his work as a performer and artist, leaving an unforgettable mark on heavy music and underground art. Rest in peace, Chuck Varga. Hail Varga! Hail Sexecutioner!”
Someone else said, “Really heartbroken to be waking up to this news. Good night, Chuck. Even among the very best, you were a king. HAIL SEXICUTIONER!”
Varga Previously Opened Up About His Cancer
Varga revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer in April 2026. After this, GWAR hosted a blood donation campaign in his honor. The singer also spoke to Decibel about his condition.
He was asked when he first felt something was off about his health. Varga responded, “About 10 years ago. I went to the urologist, and he double-checked my prostate, and it turned out that I had prostate cancer. They did an operation and took out my prostate. They didn’t get it all. Over the course of 10 years, I’ve been taking hormone blockers and some radiation, which kept it in a very stable state.”
The GWAR frontman then said, “The cancer found a workaround, and it developed a new strain, and it’s gone gangbusters since last summer, taking away my ability to walk. It left me partially paralyzed from the waist down.
Varga then gave an update, saying, “I am now in a hospital bed in my house in Florida, in hospice. The doctor said back in March that I had six months or less to live. I’m not really doing much in the way of treatments because they’re ineffective.”
Regarding the prostate cancer, he later said, “It’s gone everywhere.”
