Eugene Richard O’Connor, known professionally as Cheetah Chrome, was born on February 18, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio. After playing in local groups with drummer Johnny Blitz, he joined the influential proto-punk band Rocket from the Tombs in 1974. When the group dissolved in 1975, Cheetah Chrome and Blitz formed Frankenstein with singer Stiv Bators; the project developed into the Dead Boys alongside guitarist Jimmy Zero and bassist Jeff Magnum. The band moved to New York, became closely associated with CBGB, and signed with Sire Records before releasing Young, Loud and Snotty in 1977. Featuring “Sonic Reducer,” co-written by Cheetah Chrome and David Thomas, the album became a defining document of early American punk. We Have Come for Your Children followed in 1978, before the Dead Boys disbanded. Cheetah Chrome subsequently recorded the solo single “Still Wanna Die” backed with “Take Me Home,” played guitar on Ronnie Spector’s Siren in 1980, and performed with Nico. Following several Dead Boys reunions, he moved to Nashville and recorded a 1999 solo concert in Detroit. Cheetah Chrome reunited with Rocket from the Tombs in 2003, contributing to Rocket Redux in 2004 and Barfly in 2011. He also formed Batusis with New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, releasing their self-titled EP in 2010, the same year his autobiography, Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy’s Tale from the Front Lines of Punk Rock, appeared. Cheetah Chrome co-founded Plowboy Records in 2012 and released his first studio solo collection, Solo, in 2013, while making a cameo in the film CBGB. In 2017, he revived the Dead Boys for the anniversary album and tour Still Snotty: Young, Loud & Snotty at 40!. His 1999 concert was reissued as Dead Boy – Alive in Detroit in 2025, followed by the archival Dead Boys live album Time Warp Baby in 2026. A new Dead Boys studio project featuring Cheetah Chrome remained unreleased when he died on September 13, 2026, aged 71.
