Overview
- The Dead Boys confirmed on social media that Eugene Richard O’Connor, known as Cheetah Chrome, died on Sunday, September 13, 2026, and asked for privacy in their tribute.
- Chrome is survived by his wife, Anna O'Connor, and his 14-year-old son Rogan, and no official cause of death has been released.
- Chrome helped shape American punk as a founding guitarist of Rocket From The Tombs and the Dead Boys, whose 1977 album Young, Loud and Snotty and the song "Sonic Reducer" became scene touchstones.
- Plans announced in late 2024 for a new Dead Boys album using cleaned-up Stiv Bators vocal demos with high-profile guest players, and a 2027 tour marking the debut's 50th anniversary, are now in uncertain or developing status following his death.
- Beyond performance, Chrome documented his life in a 2010 memoir, worked as creative director at Plowboy Records, and influenced later musicians, prompting tributes from bandmates and peers that stressed both his musical impact and personal kindness.