Cramps™ Lux Interior 1946-2009

A true rock �n' roll wildman - "an Elvis from Hell," no less - has once again passed on.

By Fred Mills

Erick Lee Purkhiser - that's the Cramps' manic, mic-gobblin', �nads-flashing, howlin-at-the-moon, can-your-pussy-do-the-dog-BABY! frontman known as Lux Interior - passed away yesterday in Glendale, Calif. at the age of 62. He'd been suffering from a heart condition.

Lux along with his partner-in-twang Kristy "Poison Ivy Rorschach" Wallace jumpstarted their share of revivals in their time, commencing operations in '72 as the Cramps and, upon landing in NYC during the early CBGB era, became one of the legendary punk bands. From thrashy takes on classic rockabilly to glam-fueled garage to just plain Crampsian rock - yes, that adjective is in popular coinage, and anyone who sees it used understands instinctively what it connotes - the band outlasted all their peers while consistently putting on one of rock's great three-ring circuses right up until Lux's unexpected demise. But you know all that already.

Watch BLURT next week for an extended appreciation of Lux and his peculiarly demented craft - he was one of the greats.

That makes three heroes in less than a month - Lux, Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, and folk godfather John Martyn. 2009 is shaping up to be very, very sad indeed, and while I've said it plenty of times in the past, I'll say it again: go up to your musical heroes and tell them how much they mean to you NOW, in their lifetime. Don't wait for your chance to be first in line at the eulogy queue. Trust me: they may deflect your praise, either out of reflex or genuine humility, but deep inside, they will appreciate it.