Happy Birthday Cheetah Chrome

If there is such a thing as Punk Rock Royalty, then Cheetah Chrome is one of the Knights of the Round Table. From the ashes of Rocket From the Tombs and Frankenstein, Cheetah emerged as one of The Dead Boys alongside Stiv Bators, Jimmy Zero, Jeff Magnum and Johnny Blitz. They were the "rock" in punk rock and they lived up to their debut album title Young, Loud and Snotty. All in good fun, of course. Ultimate showmen, they were, setting the benchmarks that would lay the foundation for what made great punk rock shows.


First photo I took with Cheetah in it - he's the blur behind Stiv, and note there's a photographer standing in front of me -- from The Starwood, November 1977

I'm proud to say that Cheetah Chrome is still my punk rock friend, and we both live in Nashville, Tennessee, where the contemporary photos you see here were taken.



Young Rogan, Cheetah and Anna's son will be four this year! He's already playing guitar... a young Cheetah in training. Daddy Cheetah's birthday is today. Happy Birthday Cheetah Chrome. May you have many many many more.