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Lux Interior October 21, 1946 - February 4, 2009
Early this morning the Cramps' lead singer Lux Interior passed away in Glendale due to a pre-existing heart condition. I was truly saddened to learn of his death, and had I not been in a room full of people I might have burst into tears.
Even before my first Cramps gig at the age of 15, Lux Interior had a profound effect on my understanding of music and showmanship. Grimacing and posturing, Lux interior would smack himself right in the face with the microphone. As he stretched his cropped vinyl pants at the seams, he stretched the parameters of what I believed could be done on a stage. Most memorably, he used his ability to cram the entire microphone into his mouth to explore new avenues of sound.
In the tradition of of Jerry Lee Lewis, Jim Morrison and Tomata du Plenty, Lux will forever hold a place in the pantheon of great frontmen. Here is the song from The Cramps' short spot in Urgh! A Music War that opened my eyes and blew my mind.
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