Lux Interior (born Eric Lee Purkhiser), frontman for the seminal punk/psychobilly band The Cramps, died February 4th from an existing heart condition. He was 62.Who were The Cramps, you ask? Well, during the CBGB punk heyday – while bands like The Ramones were trying to figure out how to make things louder and faster – The Cramps were slowing things down and getting freakier. They mined the musical riches of ‘50s rockabilly and ‘60s garage rock, then added a generous dollop of sci-fi/horror b-movie schlock and psychosexual tension.
For horror enthusiasts, we were happy to see The Cramps' influence come full circle when they contributed songs to the soundtracks to some classic ‘80s trash. They provided “The Surfin’ Dead” to Return of the Living Dead, added a bit of “Fever” to Near Dark and oozed some “Goo Goo Muck” into Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
And to top it all off, Lux showed us that a living zombie could pull off a vinyl bodysuit and high heels with style. His microphone-swallowing, generally insane stage antics led to a whole new generation of followers, and a slew of musical descendents trying to emulate The Cramps' sound. But no one will ever top the original. I hope the afterlife is ready for him.
Anyone wishing to pay their respects has been asked to donate to Lux’s favorite charity, Best Friends Animal Society. (Click here for their web site.)
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