Punk guitarist Cheetah Chrome of The Dead Boys dies at 71

Cheetah Chrome, the guitarist for the influential punk bands The Dead Boys and Rocket From the Tombs, has died at the age of 71. His death was announced by his surviving bandmates in The Dead Boys in a social media post on September 13, 2026. The band described Chrome as "a true original, an architect of the punk rock movement" and "a one-man hurricane tearing up the musical landscape with his feral guitar riffs and manic energy." They extended condolences to his family and friends and asked for privacy. An official cause of death was not disclosed. Born Eugene Richard O'Connor in Cleveland in 1955, Chrome first made his mark on the underground scene in 1974 with the protopunk band Rocket From the Tombs. Though the group was short-lived, it was noted by music journalists of the era. After Rocket From the Tombs disbanded, Chrome co-founded The Dead Boys in 1975 with vocalist Stiv Bators, guitarist Jimmy Zero, bassist Jeff Magnum, and drummer Johnny Blitz. The Dead Boys relocated to New York City in 1976, becoming a fixture of the city's burgeoning punk scene at venues like CBGB. They signed to Sire Records and released their debut album, "Young, Loud and Snotty," in 1977.