My heart is broken...literally broken at the news of Lux Interiors death. Lux, 60, who suffered from a heart condition, died in a hospital in California last night. Lux was the founder of one of the most seminal bands of the entire Billie genre, The Cramps.
While Billie music suffered from a devastating lull in the 70s (mostly due to its founding members being coopted by the Nashville sound that emerged during that time). A new subgenre was rising through the ranks of the burgeoining punk movement led by The Cramps in New York and The Meteors in the UK. This new subgenre would be given the moniker "psychobilly" by Lux. Although Lux denied being a part of the psychobilly movement, he was, and still is, credited with being its founder.
Without Lux, the marriage of punk, rockabilly, and scifi horror may have never become the mainstay in the Billie family that it is.
To be honest, the loss that I am feeling is selfish as I never had a chance to see the band perform live. If you happen to be reading this and was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to see a Cramps show, please do me the honor of regaling me with a story or two in the comments section.
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