Lux Interior: 1946-2009

One day after the music world remembered the premature deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, it lowers its head once more to mourn another loss. Eccentric Cramps' frontman Lux Interior, born Erick Lee Purkhiser, died yesterday of an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in California, according to the band's publicist.

In the rush to be the first to release the news of his death, most of the articles already posted neglected to confirm Interior's age. According to Dick Porter's book The Cramps: A Short History of Rock 'n' Roll Psychosis, Interior was born Oct. 21, 1946 in Stow, Ohio, making him 62.

Interior is survived by his wife Kristy Wallace, also known as Poison Ivy. Together, they made up the ghoulish image of the Cramps, who never broke up and were touring as recently as last November. The band's last album of new material was released in 2003. Interior's natural rockabilly, menacing punk-rock vocals mixed with Wallace's big-sounding surf guitar helped create the "psychobilly" movement, a familiar, late '50s/early '60s sound, but more forceful with lyrics inspired by the likes of sleazy B-horror flicks and Cleveland legend/mischief-maker Ghoulardi.

A staple of the early CBGB's punk scene in the late '70s, the Cramps would go on to influence not only bands in that genre, but many mainstream acts including the White Stripes, Pearl Jam and countless others. As with many of early punk's luminaries, they may not have been able to make a splash in the public arena, but to those who know and practice music, Interior and the band's contribution to rock 'n' roll is priceless.