Died On This Date (October 10, 2013) Jan Kuehnemund / Lead Guitarist For Vixen
themusicsover Jan Kuehnemund
November 15, 1961 – October 10, 2013
Jan Kuehnemund is perhaps best remembered as the founding lead guitarist for Vixen, an all-female glam metal band who achieved a worldwide fan base during the late ’80s. Originally formed with Kuehnemund was in high school in 1974, the band quickly split up but then reformed in 1980. After settling in Los Angeles, the group – often referred to as “the female Bon Jovi” started building a sizable following throughout the flourishing Sunset Strip scene. In 1987, they appeared in Penelope Spheeris’ acclaimed rock doc, The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years. That was quickly followed by a recording contract with EMI Records who released their self-titled debut in 1988. The album, which included the Richard Marx-penned hit single “Edge Of A Broken Heart,” rose to #41 on the Billboard charts and was nearly as chart-successful in the UK. Rev It Up followed in 1990, while the band was taking the hair metal world by storm. Throughout those couple of years, the band toured with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Deep Purple, KISS, and Scorpions. The band split up in the middle of 1991 and then reformed a few times over the next several years with Kuehnemund not coming back to the fold until 2001. A version of the band with just Kuehnemund from the original line up released two albums in 2006. The classic late ’80s/early ’90s edition got together for VH1’s Bands Reunited series in 2004. Jan Kuehnemund passed away following a courageous battle with cancer on October 10, 2013. She was 51.
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Teddy Days was a bassist who is best remembered for his time playing bass in Los Angeles speed metal pioneers, Hellion. Days played in the band for a short period during the early ’90s and appeared in a rough cut of a video in the works for “Stormrider,” a track from their 1991 release, The Black Book. It is unclear if he actually played on the song and album. According to a Facebook post by Hellion’s Ann Boleyn, Teddy Days, 48, passed away on July 10, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Kevin McDade was the bassist and lead singer of the up-and-coming Los Angeles stoner metal band, Behold! The Monolith. With a sound influenced by such acts as Celtic Frost, Motorhead and Black Sabbath, Behold! The Monolith were no strangers to positive press from the likes of Decibel, Terrorizer, blabbermouth.net and Metal Hammer. They self-released their debut EP in 2008 and their self-titled full-length album in 2009 Defender, Redeemist in 2012. McDade had been part of the trio since 2007. Kevin McDade was killed in a car accident on June 22, 2013.
