Cramps Frontman Lux Interior Dies

Courtesy of Bilboard.com

Cramps frontman Lux Interior passed away today (Feb. 4) at a Glendale, Calif., hospital due to a pre-existing heart condition, the band's publicist confirms to Billboard. He was 60.

The Cramps formed in 1976 and were part of the now legendary downtown New York punk scene. Their lineup shifted over the years but always included Lux and his wife, Poison Ivy. The band's rockabilly-infused punk has been credited as an influence by bands like the White Stripes, Pearl Jam and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Interior, whose real name was Erick Lee Purkhiser, was born Oct. 21, 1948, in Stow, Ohio. He met Ivy in 1972 and started the band shortly thereafter.

The Cramps released 14 albums over the course of their career. Their latest, 2004's "How To Make a Monster," sold 11,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Their best-selling album, 1984's "Bad Music for Bad People," has sold 95,000 copies.