Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, died yesterday, February 3, of a heart condition.
We were lucky enough to see The Cramps a few times, most recently at the Vic Theater a couple years ago. Man, you always got your money's worth and then some when you saw them live. Lux, born Erick Lee Purkhiser, always put on a hell of a show. He was real, real gone.
I'll leave you with a couple videos to remember him by. The first is the video for their song Garbage Man, off their 1979 album Songs the Lord Taught Us. It's the original lineup, featuring their original guitarist Bryan Gregory. As the song goes:
"It's just what you need when you're down in the dumps
One half hillbilly and one half punk..."
The second video is a live performance of What's Inside a Girl, from their record A Date With Elvis. It's from the mid-80's, and it's my favorite Cramps record. It's exuberant and obscene in a really good way.
Thanks, Lux. I had a good time.
14 comments:
Just caught that. 60. Seems younger every day . . .
Thanks for this great tribute. Cramps are awesome! Glad to know they were still blasting away when you last saw them; last time I saw 'em was in Chapel Hill about twenty years ago.
Bzzzzzz Bzzzzzz
What? I hadn't heard that. I've got "Bad Music For Bad People," both one of the best "Best of" albums and best album covers ever. I love the Cramps.
I remember when you posted the clip of them playing at the Napa Valley nuthouse a while back-- I have that DVD.
Fab frontman.
RIP. I only know a few of their songs but Human Fly is a firm favourite of mine.
Shit, everyone is bucket kicking these days it seems.
And I never got to see them live... God I'm gonna miss him...
I just found out. This sux!
I knew you'd post about this. I love The Cramps. They were on the short list to play at my birthday party if I ever won the lottery.
The Resident Offspring picked up "Bad Music for Bad People" in a used record store a few months ago.
60 seems so young.
Sad day. I say let's drink to Lux tonight and turn up The Cramps real loud.
Dang. That's a shame. I'm going to have to dig out our old vinyl.
I thought of you when I heard Bubs. I liked The Cramps but never saw them live, they scared me a little. R.I.P. to Lux.
60 is too young.
Sorry, my email appears to be on the fritz, so I am leaving your letter here.
You get G.
I couldn't believe he was that old.
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