One of Punk Rock’s most endearing musical founders and legends has died. Cheetah Chrome has died. He was 71. News of his passing was shared on social media from the official Dead Boys accounts. Born Eugene Richard O’Connor in Cleveland in 1951, Chrome was part of punk’s big-bang-style origin story with proto-punk leaders Rocket From The Tombs in Cleveland on guitar, from mid-1974 to 1975. Then, co-founding the Dead Boys, the band Chrome was most famous for, they released two incendiary albums and the all-time classic Punk song “Sonic Reducer” before breaking up in 1979. Both bands reunited later over various lineups and eras to widespread acclaim. In addition to those two towering bands, Cheetah had a strong solo career and collaborated with everyone from Ronnie Spector to Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. RIP.
