Punk Icon Cheetah Chrome Dies at 71

Eugene Richard O’Connor, the punk guitarist known as Cheetah Chrome and a founder of the Dead Boys, died at 71. A Cleveland native who also played in Rocket from the Tombs and Frankenstein, Chrome helped shape the Dead Boys’ feral punk sound on their early albums before their 1979 breakup; the band later regrouped for live performances, with a 50th‑anniversary tour planned for 2027. He is survived by his wife Anna and his 14-year-old son Rogan in Nashville.