From Variety · Isabelle Farina · · 1m 10s
Cheetah Chrome, Dead Boys Guitarist, Dies at 71
The guitarist who gave the Dead Boys their snarl has died, and his bandmates found the words for it.
In brief
The guitarist who gave the Dead Boys their snarl has died, and his bandmates found the words for it. Cheetah Chrome helped build American punk from the ground up, and the riffs outlive him. Originally reported by Variety.
A punk original is gone
Eugene Richard O'Connor, known to everyone as Cheetah Chrome, died Sunday at 71. He played guitar for the Dead Boys.
His band broke the news
The surviving Dead Boys confirmed his death in an Instagram post, signed by Tony, Chris, Mark and the wider band family.
“We are incredibly sad to announce the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Cheetah Chrome.”
An architect of punk
His bandmates did not call him a participant in punk rock. They called him one of the people who built it.
“Cheetah was a true original, an architect of the punk rock movement.”
Feral riffs, manic energy
The band described his playing as a one-man hurricane, all raw guitar and restless motion rather than polish.
“A one-man hurricane tearing up the musical landscape with his feral guitar riffs and manic energy.”
Sweet guy behind the noise
For all the chaos on stage, the Dead Boys remembered someone warm who simply loved rock and roll.
“Beyond all that Cheetah was also just a really sweet guy that loved rock-roll.”
The music keeps going
The band asked for privacy and closed with a promise: the records will keep finding new players for generations.
“His music lives on and will continue to inspire others for generations to come.”
What to remember
Cheetah Chrome helped build American punk from the ground up, and the riffs outlive him.
