Cheetah Chrome, the guitarist who helped define the early American punk sound with Dead Boys and Rocket From the Tombs, died Sunday, September 13, at 71.
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Dead Boys announced his death through social media but did not disclose a cause. The band asked fans to respect Chrome’s family and friends as they mourned his death.
“We are incredibly sad to announce the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Cheetah Chrome,” they wrote. “Cheetah was a true original, an architect of the punk rock movement. a one man hurricane tearing up the musical landscape with his feral guitar riffs and manic energy.”
“Beyond all that Cheetah was also just a really sweet guy that loved rock-roll.”
Cheetah Chrome Helped Change The Punk Scene
Born Eugene Richard O’Connor in Cleveland on February 18, 1955, Chrome joined Rocket From the Tombs in 1974.
The group developed an abrasive and experimental sound that helped shape the emerging Cleveland punk scene. Although Rocket From the Tombs lasted only a short time, its members later formed or joined other influential bands.
After Rocket From the Tombs split, Chrome teamed with Stiv Bators, Johnny Blitz and other musicians to form Dead Boys. The group moved from Cleveland to New York in 1976 and became part of the city’s developing punk scene. Dead Boys gained a reputation through performances at CBGB and other clubs before releasing their debut album, Young, Loud and Snotty, in 1977.
Chrome co-wrote “Sonic Reducer,” one of Dead Boys’ most recognized songs and a lasting punk standard. The band released its second album, We Have Come for Your Children, in 1978 before breaking up the following year.
Chrome continued performing and recording after Dead Boys ended. He worked with artists including Ronnie Spector, Nico and GG Allin and pursued projects of his own. He also returned to Rocket From the Tombs for later performances and recordings.
In 2010, Chrome published his memoir, Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy’s Tale From the Front Lines of Punk Rock. The book chronicled his experiences during punk’s formative years.