In Memoriam: Pierre Kezdy

Pierre Kezdy

Sad news to report today: Chicago-based punk mainstay Pierre Kezdy has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 58 years old. The news was announced in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Kezdy first joined the band Strike Under when he was in high school, although friend Lou Lombardo told the Sun-Times that “He didn’t even know how to play an instrument… He basically lied and said he knew how to play and taught himself to play.” Strike Under morphed into Trial By Fire, which folded in 1982. It was then that he would replace Camilo Gonzalez in Naked Raygun, a band that would influence Dave Grohl, Steve Albini, Matt Skiba, and more.

He would play with the band on four albums before their initial split in 1992. Among his contributions, Kezdy wrote several popular songs including “Home” and “Vanilla Blue”.

Kezdy would go on to play with several other area bands including Pegboy and Arsenal. Although a stroke affected his playing in 2010, he would reunite with Naked Raygun for live shows in 2013.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Pierre Kezdy. A GoFundMe campaign set up to support his financial burden from cancer treatment will now go directly to his wife and four children.

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