Died On This Date (June 9, 2008) Nick Sanderson / The Gun Club, Earl Brutus

Nick Sanderson
1961 – June 9, 2008

Nick Sanderson, was the one-time drummer for seminal rock band, the Gun Club as well as the singer in the highly influential Earl Brutus,  but his carer started in the Manchester industrial band, Clock DVA in 1983.  About a year later, Sanderson was backing then-former Gun Club singer, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, who would later invite him to join a re-formed Gun Club.  Following Pierce’s death in 1997, Sanderson joined Earl Brutus as singer.  In recent years, he was playing in a band called Freeheat alongside Jim Reid of the Jesus and Mary Chain.   Nick Sanderson died of lung cancer in 2008.

Died On This Date (March 31, 1996) Jeffrey Lee Pierce / The Gun Club

Jeffrey Lee Pierce
June 27, 1958 – March 31, 1996

Photo by Hank Grebe

Perhaps best known as the front man for L.A. blues-infused rock band, the Gun Club, Jeffrey Lee Pierce also worked for Bomp Records, wrote for a handful of punk ‘zines, and ran the Blondie fan club.  With the Gun Club, Pierce made an influential though not commercial impact on music with their swampy blues punk sound that drew strongly from such blues giants as Charley Patton and Howlin’ Wolf.  Gun Club were a direct influence on the White Stripes, Screaming Trees and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.  By the ’90s, Pierce was struggling with personal demons and drugs, leading to a marked decline in his creative output.   He died of a brain hemorrhage on the final day of March, 1996.  He was just 37.

What You Should Own

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Fire of Love - The Gun Club

Died On This Date (December 30, 2009) Rowland S. Howard / The Birthday Party

Rowland S. Howard
October 24, 1959 – December 30, 2009

Photo by Simon Schluter

Rowland S. Howard was an Australian guitarist and songwriter who is best remembered for his work with Nick Cave in the Birthday Party, a proto-punk / art-rock band that formed from the ashes of the new wave band, the Boys Next Door.  The band created a loyal cult following thanks in part to Howard’s aggressive guitar and feedback.  After leaving the group in 1983, Howard collaborated with numerous artists including Lydia Lunch, Henry RollinsJeffrey Lee Pierce, Epic Soundtracks, and Nikki Sudden.  Howard released just two solo albums, Teenage Snuff Film and Pop Crimes, both of which were positively received by fans and critics.  In later years he was relatively inactive due to personal and health reasons.  On December 30, 2009, Rowland S. Howard died of liver cancer at the age of 50.

What You Should Own

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Prayers On Fire - The Birthday Party