The legendary Cleveland punk band the Dead Boys has announced the passing of their co-founding guitarist, Eugene Richard O’Connor, also known as Cheetah Chrome, at the age of 71. The band shared the news in a statement on Instagram on Sunday, September 13th. “We are incredibly sad to announce the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Cheetah Chrome,” the statement read. “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 Chrome initially played in the proto-punk band Rocket from the Tombs before forming Dead Boys alongside fellow RFTT members Stiv Bators and Johnny Madansky. The punk group released two albums, 1977’s Young, Loud and Snotty and 1978’s We Have Come for Your Children, and was also featured prominently in Lech Kowalski’s seminal 1980 punk documentary D.O.A.: A Right of Passage.
Legacy and Later Work
Dead Boys first disbanded in 1980, after which Cheetah Chrome pursued several solo projects, did session work, and even toured with GG Allin. The band would periodically reunite over the following decades, first in 1987, again in 2004, and once more beginning in 2017.
Cheetah Chrome chronicled his life in the 2010 memoir Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy’s Tale from the Front Lines of Punk Rock. He was also portrayed on screen by Rupert Grint in the 2013 film CBGB.
In conclusion, the passing of Cheetah Chrome marks the end of an era for the punk rock movement. As a founding member of Dead Boys and a key figure in the development of punk rock, his legacy will continue to inspire and influence future generations of musicians and fans alike. His music and story will live on, and his impact on the punk rock movement will never be forgotten.
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