DEAD BOYS Guitarist CHEETAH CHROME Dies At 71

Punk legend Cheetah Chrome — co-founder of DEAD BOYS — died Sunday, September 13 at the age of 71.

"We are incredibly sad to announce the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Cheetah Chrome," Chrome's DEAD BOYS bandmates wrote on social media. "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.

"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."

Cheetah, whose real name was Eugene Richard O'Connor, is survived by his wife, Anna O'Connor, and his 14-year-old son Rogan.

Chrome helped architect the sound of punk with the seminal rock band ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS (along with David Thomas and Peter Laughner, who would later form Pere Ubu) before launching a new project with ROCKET drummer Johnny Blitz and frontman Stiv Bators. DEAD BOYS became a fixture at new York City's CBGB and the band's 1977 debut album, "Young, Loud And Snotty", was an instant classic, while their hit "Sonic Reducer" became a punk anthem. Despite landing a major label deal with Sire, the group was over by 1979.

In 2010 Cheetah published his well-received autobiography, "Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy's Tale From The Front Lines Of Punk Rock", and became the creative director for Nashville-based Plowboy Records. The company released his first-ever solo EP, "Solo", in 2013.

Photo courtesy of Cleopatra Records