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Cramps frontman Lux Interior passed away yesterday morning in Glendale, Calif., from complications stemming from an existing heart condition. Interior, real name Erick Lee Purkhiser, founded the Cramps with his wife Poison Ivy (née Kristy Wallace) in 1973, and they quickly became fixtures of New York’s emerging punk scene after playing their first CBGB show in 1976; their deft combination of surf-rock melodies, rockabilly swagger, and horror-film iconography was hugely influential on a lot of bands that came in their wake. Lux Interior and Poison Ivy were the only two constant members of the band, which stopped touring in 2004. (A comprehensive timeline of the Cramps’ history is here.) A couple of videos after the jump.
“The Way I Walk” (Live at Napa State Mental Hospital)
“Bikini Girls With Machine Guns”
Interior was 62.
Cramporama [Noisezone Magazine]
First onset: ‘79, Aragon, Chicago, opening for Talking Heads, Fear of Music tour. (Also on bill: The Reds.) Bryan Gregory lineup! Cramps theory: “The Virgin Suicides” (What’s Inside a Girl?), a tribute to “Lux’s interior.”
Such a phenomenal live act. Everything through A Date With Elvis, plus the live albums Smell of Female and Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand, totally essential.
@unperson: Yep. Agreed.
No, not The Reds, twas Philly power-poppers “The A’s” (”After Last Night”).
Well this fucking sucks; the universe couldn’t possibly kill-off BORING people, no, has to go after people like Lux and Asheton…
Ouch, we are but mere mortals.
@dreamsneverend: Side note. I love your little avatar logo thingy there. I love Technique.
@Dick Laurent is dead.: And Ray Dennis Steckler too. I agree – the universe is being an asshole this year so far.
Fun fact: the Cramps apparently inspired the entire Dischord scene into existing via a show at American University.