Thomas “Pig Champion” Roberts (1958-2006)

Numerous sources are reporting that Thomas "Pig Champion" Roberts, former guitarist of seminal hardcore/punk act Poison Idea died at his home on Monday night. Roberts - or "Pig Champion" as he had rechristened himself - toured with the band throughout the 90s and the new millenium despite officially leaving the band in 1993.

His unusual moniker was derived after he hit 450 lbs, leading him to be described as "spectacularly fat," and "the single largest man in hardcore history."

Poison Idea was formed in 1980 by vocalist Jerry Lang. Inspired by Black Flag, Discharge and the Germs, the band went on to release dozens of albums, EPs and released The Best of Poison Idea via Taang! in 2000.

Our deepest condolences go out to Tom's family and friends.

Tim Jordan of the All-American Rejects (1981-2005)

Snapdragon Records has confirmed that All-American Rejects touring keyboardist Tim Jordan has passed away. The 24-year-old Camden, Arkansas native reportedly committed suicide in his hometown yesterday.

Jordan's musical origins trace back to Snapdragon Records band Welton, for whom he played guitar. Welton broke up earlier this year, and Jordan consequently went on to join Number One Fan as that band's touring keyboardist before ending up in the Rejects camp this past Summer.

Snapdragon's site made a post about the tragedy, mentioning in part:

Tim was loved by all and was amazing with his fans… He was well known for his great live performance and interaction and his ability to communicate and seem to care about all! He lived breathed and ate music.

Our deepest condolences go out to Jordan's family and friends.

Bomber Manzullo of RKL, The Other (1967-2005)

A number of readers wrote in with the sad news that Bomber Manzullo of RKL has passed away. Details are scarce at present, but the news has been confirmed.

RKL, or Rich Kids on LSD was a fixture of the 90s Santa Barbara punk scene. Two members of the band, guitarist Chris Rest and drummer Dave Raun, went on to join Lagwagon, while Bomber joined Rest to form The Other.

Manzullo's last record with the band was Reactivate which was re-released on Epitaph in 1993. He left the band before Riches to Rags was released in 1994, also on Epitaph. Those full lengths were preceded by a handful of releases on Mystic and Alchemy. The band split up around 1996 but had reunited in various configurations 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. A posthumous collection, Keep Laughing - The Best Of RKL appeared in 2001.

Our deepest condolences go out to Bomber's family, bandmates, fans and friends.

Richard Pryor (1940-2005)

Link Wray (1929-2005)

Legendary and pioneering guitarist Link Wray passed away earlier this month from heart failure at the age of 76. The guitarist was renowned for his progressive and innovative styles and the ubiquotous "power chord" is attributed to him.

Wray, lost a lung to tuberculosis while serving in the Korean War and as such concentrated on instrumental music. Among his innovations was to punch holes in his amplifier to create his trademark distorted sound. One of his most famous songs was "Rumble," an instrumental song that was considered so evocative and violent that it was banned from several radio stations despite having no actual lyrics. Another one of his tracks, "Rawhide" was equally influential and has been covered by a variety of artists from Guitar Wolf to Dead Kennedys to Senator John Kerry's college band.

He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and named as one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists by Rolling Stone.

Our deepest condolences to his friends, families and fans.

Timur Kacharava of Sandinista! (1985-2005)

Timur Kacharava of St. Petersburg, Russia's Sandinista! was tragically murdered by a group of Nazis on November 13th.

The vocalist and activist was involved with Food Not Bombs and was killed after leaving an action in Vladimirskaya Square. His friend Max "Zgibov" Zgibai was also attacked and has been hospitalized with serious injuries.

Both were active anarchist organizers who volunteered at the Epicenter Infoshop and were members of St. Petersburg Food Not Bombs. Violent neo-Nazi skinheads are common throughout Western Europe, and frequently target immigrants, homosexuals, anarchists, and radical leftists.

Timur was a founding member of the St. Petersburg political hardcore punk band Sandinista! which formed in 2003. He was the musical leader, writing most of the music and playing lead guitar. In the Summer of 2005 Timur also joined the local d-beat hardcore band Distress. He returned to St. Petersburg from a Scandinavian tour with Distress just a few days before being murdered.

Our deepest condolences go out to Timur's family, bandmates and friends.

Mana “China” Nishiura of DMBQ

Tragic news tonight from a promoter behind the current An Albatross / DMBQ tour. This past Friday the van carrying Japan's DMBQ was involved in a three-vehicle accident near the Delaware Memorial Bridge en route from Baltimore to Brooklyn. Following the accident all members of the band were hospitalized, as was tour manager Michelle Cable of Panache Magazine.

Reports from the promoter have confirmed that drummer Mana "China" Nishiura did not survive the accident. Nishiura, a native of Hiroshima, had formerly played in Shonen Knife and a number of other Japanese bands including Rashinban, Jesus Fever, Teem, Music Start Against Young Assault and Cel.

Cable is reportedly conscious following surgery for a head injury but will be hospitalized for the next few weeks. DMBQ's Shinji Masuko is still hospitalized and is expected to be released soon. Toru Matsui and Ryuichi Watanabe have already been released.

Our deepest condolences go out to Mana's family and friends.

John Holohan of Bayside (1974-2005)

Bayside drummer John "Beatz" Holohan was killed in a tragic accident this morning while the band drove to the next stop on the ongoing Never Sleep Again tour.

The van the band was travelling in flipped when it hit a patch of ice outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Bassist Nick Ghanbarian was also seriously injured and remains under observation at the hospital along with member's of the band's crew.

As a result, the next stop on the tour in Salt Lake City, Utah has been cancelled and a decision will soon be made as to the future of the tour.

A memorial fund has been established in John's name, and donations can be made here.

Our deepest condolences go out to John's family, bandmates and friends.

Ryan Dallas Cook of Suburban Legends (1982-2005)

Ryan Dallas Cook, trombonist for ska revivalists The Suburban Legends, was killed in a motorcyle accident this morning. He was thrown from his motorcyle after colliding with a vehicle that had stopped in the carpool lane and then was repeatedly hit by oncoming cars. He was 23.

The vehicle involved in the incident fled the scene and is currently being looked for by authorities. It is described as a Hyundai, and possibly an SUV.

His bandmate and friend, Brian Robertson, made this statement on the band's website:

I can not put into words what I'm feeling now. My band mate, my best friend, my room mate Ryan Dallas Cook was killed early in the morning on the 19th. I dont have words to tell you how I feel. I love Dallas like a brother, and I've lost one of the most important persons in my life

More information about this tragic incident can be found on The OC Register and NBC.

Our deepest condolences go out to Ryan's friends, family and fans.

Nick Hawkins of Big Audio Dynamite (1965-2005)

Nick Hawkins, former guitarist of Big Audio Dynamite passed away last week from a heart attack. Hawkins gained international attention when he joined the legendary Mick Jones in the band in 1990 and participated in their biggest single and album,"Rush" from the album, The Globe which was released in 1991.

Hawkins left the band in 1997 and had been working on his first solo album in Las Vegas. Nick had hoped to release the record, titled Dusk Till Dawn next year.

Our deepest condolences go out to Nick's family and friends.