Jon Blank
1974 – May 2, 2009
Jon Blank was the bassist for Washington DC area metal band, Rezin. In recent months he was playing on a project for Scott “Wino” Weinrich. A band on the rise, Rezin has been building a fan base along the mid-Atlantic coast due to their live shows and airplay on area hard rock stations. Blank died of a an apparent drug overdose on May 2, 2009.
Hideto Matsumoto
December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998
Hide Matsumoto was the guitarist for popular Japanese hard rock band, X Japan from 1987 to 1997. As a child, Matsumoto learned several instruments, the bass, guitar, clarinet and trumpet. Ater spending most of the ’80s going to cosmetology school and playing in another band or to, Matsumoto helped revive Japan X who had been on hiatus for a few years. He also had some success with a few solo albums during this period. After a night of drinking, Matsumoto was found hanging from a twisted towel in his apartment. His death was officially ruled a suicide, but friends and family insist he died accidentally using a method of pain relief akin to traction for his sore back and shoulder. His funeral drew over 50,000 fans.
Carl Albert
1962 – April 22, 1995
Carl Albert was perhaps best known as a singer for San Francisco heavy metal band, Vicious Rumors. The band was formed by Geoff Thorpe in 1979, and featured Albert singing out front from 1988 to 1993. Prior to that, he fronted Villain and Ruffians. He died on April 22, 1995 as a result of a car accident.
Peter Steele (Born Petrus Ratajczyk)
January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010
Peter Steele is best remembered as the lead singing bassist for goth metal band, Type O Negative. Known for his deep voice and towering 6′-7″ frame, Steele helped make Type O Negative one of metal’s most popular underground bands. The group released several charting albums throughout the ’90s and 2000s, their most recent being 2007’s Dead Again. Although this isn’t the first time that rumors of his death have surfaced, Peter Steele reportedly died of heart failure on April 14, 2010. He was 48.
Joe Markowski (aka Fast Joey Brighton)
DOB Unknown- April 14, 2010
Joe Markowski was a respected drummer who is perhaps best remembered for playing with Twisted Sister for about a year starting in 1981. Markowski was also an in-demand drum teacher who, over the course of his career, tutored the likes of Bobby Rondinelli who played for Black Sabbath and Rainbow, and Joe Franco of Twisted Sister. Joe Markowski was 57 when he passed away on April 14, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
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