David Thomas, a key component of Cleveland’s 1970s New Wave music scene, has died.
The frontman for the group Pere Ubu died Wednesday at his home in England with his wife and youngest step daughter by his side, according to a statement on the band’s official Facebook page.
The statement noted that he was nearly finished with an autobiography, which the band said it would complete for him.
Born June 14, 1953 in Miami, he came to prominence fronting Rocket From the Tombs. The mid-70s proto-punk band, which also included Peter Laughner, later splintered into the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu. In 2015, Thomas told Ideastream’s David C. Barnett that the “Rocket" moniker was a nod to the B-movies they had watched on television as kids.
"People said we were angry," Thomas said. "Well, what we were angry at was the ordinariness of things, of the mainstream rock bands."
The group’s recordings mostly traded among collectors since they never released a full album. Yet they proved influential on acts including Pearl Jam and Guns 'n' Roses. Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid said in 2015 that he remained fascinated by David Thomas' voice.
"At one point you hear him being very melodic, and then he's kind of this rambling, dark, muttering, and guttural,” he said. “He's almost a kind of anti-vocalist."
Thomas began a solo career after Pere Ubu first disbanded in 1982. That group, and Rocket From the Tombs, each re-formed in later years to tour and record.
