Rozz Williams

Rozz Williams (November 6, 1963 - April 1, 1998) was the lead singer and founder of Christian Death. Other projects he started included Shadow Project and Premature Ejaculation. He was born Roger Alan Painter in Pomona, California and was raised in a strict Southern Baptist family with his three older siblings (two brothers and one sister). On April 1 1998, Rozz Williams hanged himself.

Related Topics:
November 6 - 1963 - April 1 - 1998 - Christian Death - Shadow Project - Premature Ejaculation - Pomona - California - Southern Baptist

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While his older brothers preferred to listen to bands such as Lynard Skynard, with his sister adhering to Janis Joplin and other similar artists, Rozz, as a child, preferred musicians along the lines of David Bowie, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, and The New York Dolls. When he reached adolescence, in the late 1970s, he became attracted to the American punk rock scene and shaved his head.

Related Topics:
Lynard Skynard - Janis Joplin - David Bowie - Roxy Music - T-Rex - Alice Cooper - Iggy Pop - The New York Dolls - 1970s - American - Punk rock

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By the age of sixteen, Roger began performing in bands. He took the name of Rozz Williams from a gravestone he found in his favorite cemetery. His first band was called Crawlers to No, who then later became known as The Upsetters. Rozz sang and played the guitar, though the band never performed on stage. Rozz then went on to form The Asexuals. In addition to being the lead vocalist, he played the organ and guitar, with Jill Emery also contributing vocals as well as playing bass, and Steve Darrow on drums. Their performances were limited to a few parties.

Related Topics:
Gravestone - Jill Emery - Steve Darrow

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He then sang in a band called Daucus Karota with Mary Torciva on percussion and Jay on guitar. Jay and Rozz then went on to form Christian Death in late 1979 with James McGearty and George Belanger. The band broke up temporarily in 1981, and Rozz formed Premature Ejaculation with performance artist Ron Athey, with whom he had been living. After only a few live performances, including one which involved Rozz eating a dead cat, clubs began refusing to book them due to the controversial stage theatrics.

Related Topics:
Mary Torciva - Christian Death - 1979 - James McGearty - George Belanger - 1981 - Premature Ejaculation - Ron Athey

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Rozz then restarted Christian Death in the summer of 1981 with McGearty and Belanger, who also brought in guitarist Rikk Agnew, who had previously been with The Adolescents. Agnew and Belanger left the group in 1982, with guitarist Eva Ortiz and drummer China stepping in as replacements for live performances. By the end of the year the band had broken up once again due to drug problems.

Related Topics:
Rikk Agnew - The Adolescents - 1982 - Eva Ortiz

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In 1983 Rozz formed a new band under the Christian Death name, this time with former members of Pompeii 99, with whom Christian Death had performed at a live show the previous year. The new lineup consisted of Rozz as frontman, Valor Kand on guitars, Gitane Demone on keyboards and providing backing vocals, Constance Smith on bass, and David Glass on drums. Rozz had been the only original member of Christian Death left when he departed the group in 1985, yet the remaining members continued to perform and release several albums under the original group name. The latter is commonly called Valor's Christian Death by Rozz's supporters since it was fronted by Valor Kand.

Related Topics:
1983 - Pompeii 99 - Valor Kand - Gitane Demone - Constance Smith - David Glass - Christian Death - 1985

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Rozz released various material under different project names following his departure from the band; the first was Premature Ejaculation with Ron Athey, and then Shadow Project with Eva O, whom he married in San Francisco in 1987. The band lineup included Johann Schumann (bass) and also Barry Galvin and David Glass, both of whome came from Valor's Christian Death. The name Shadow Project, was taken from the tests in Hiroshima following the nuclear bomb which left impressions or ‘shadows’, but no bodies.

Related Topics:
Ron Athey - Shadow Project - Eva O - San Francisco - Hiroshima - Nuclear bomb

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Later on, Rozz reformed Shadow Project with Eva O, Jill Emery (bass), Tom Morgan (drums), and Paris (keyboards). At the time, Rozz was increasingly falling under the influence of the philosophy of Charles Manson.

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Rozz also occasionally did Christian Death reunions during the late 1980s and early 1990s with Rikk Agnew, the guitarist on Christian Death's first album. Rozz and Eva O also released two new albums under the name Christian Death during the 1990s under Cleopatra Records, resulting in two bands being called Christian Death. Valor Kand had since acquired the legal rights to the band name, and for this reason Cleopatra was forced to release Rozz's albums as Christian Death featuring Rozz Williams.

Related Topics:
Christian Death - Rikk Agnew - Cleopatra Records

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Rozz was found hanged on 1 April 1998 by his roommate, Ryan, in their West Hollywood apartment. A memorial was held at the El Rey Theatre shortly after his death, and a small gathering of family and friends offered his ashes to the earth at Runyon Canyon Park in the Hollywood Hills.

Related Topics:
1 April - 1998 - West Hollywood - El Rey Theatre - Runyon Canyon Park - Hollywood Hills

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