Rozz Williams was an American vocalist and musician of several varieties, most famous for fronting the band
Christian DeathChristian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....
, then later
Shadow ProjectShadow Project were a deathrock band formed in the early 1990s with Rozz Williams, Eva O and Paris Sadonis. The band's first album included bassist Jill Emery and drummer Thomas Morgan....
with musician
Eva OEva Ortiz better known as Eva O is a music artist most notable for her previous works in Christian Death and a band she formed with her then husband Rozz Williams called Shadow Project...
, though his main project throughout his career was the
industrialIndustrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
, Premature Ejaculation. He is also cited by some as a pioneer of the American Gothic scene as well as
deathrockDeathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...
.
Other musical projects he was involved in include
Premature EjaculationPremature Ejaculation was an experimental music group from Pomona, California in the United States. It briefly existed in 1981, and was reformed in 1987 by Rozz Williams of Christian Death fame and Chuck Collison.-History:...
, Daucus Karota, Heltir, and EXP. Williams also recorded several solo albums.
Early life
On November 6, 1963, Rozz Williams was born
Roger Alan Painter in
Pomona, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
, and was raised in a strict
Southern BaptistThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
family with his three older siblings (one sister, two brothers) in Pomona, California.
As a child, he was a fan of
David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
,
Roxy MusicRoxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, T.Rex,
Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
,
Iggy PopIggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, and The New York Dolls. When he reached adolescence in the late 1970s, he became attracted to the
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
music scene.
In his teenage years, he found the name "Rozz Williams" on a Pomona gravestone and decided to use it as his own.
Performance in bands
By the age of 16 he began performing in bands. He took the name of
Rozz Williams from a gravestone he found in a Pomona cemetery. His first bands were called
The Crawlers,
No, then later
The Upsetters. He sang and played the guitar, though the band never performed on stage. He then went on to form
The Asexuals. In addition to being the lead vocalist, he played the organ and guitar, with
Jill EmeryJill Emery is an American artist and former musician based in Los Angeles, California. Best known as the bassist for the alternative rock band Hole from 1990 until 1992, Emery left the band after the subsequent tour for the band's debut album, Pretty on the Inside and was replaced by Kristen Pfaff...
also contributing vocals as well as playing bass, and Steve Darrow on drums. Their performances were limited to a few parties.
He then sang in a band called
Daucus Karota with Mary Torciva on percussion and Jay on guitar. Jay and Williams then went on to form
Christian DeathChristian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....
in late 1979 with James McGearty and George Belanger. The name "Christian Death" was a play on words of the fashion designer
Christian DiorChristian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
. The band broke up temporarily in 1981, and Williams formed
Premature EjaculationPremature Ejaculation was an experimental music group from Pomona, California in the United States. It briefly existed in 1981, and was reformed in 1987 by Rozz Williams of Christian Death fame and Chuck Collison.-History:...
with performance artist
Ron AtheyRon Athey is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally . Athey's work explores challenging subjects like the relationships between desire, sexuality, and traumatic experience...
, with whom he had been living. After only a few live performances, including one which involved Athey eating a
crucifiedCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
road-kill cat, clubs began refusing to book them.
Williams then restarted Christian Death in the summer of 1981 with McGearty and Belanger, who also brought in guitarist
Rikk AgnewRichard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
, who had previously been with
The AdolescentsThe Adolescents are an American punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a punk supergroup, made up of early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. They are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore punk scene....
.
Agnew and Belanger left the group in 1982, with guitarist
Eva OEva Ortiz better known as Eva O is a music artist most notable for her previous works in Christian Death and a band she formed with her then husband Rozz Williams called Shadow Project...
rtiz and drummer Rod
China Figueroa stepping in as replacements for live performances. By the end of the year the band had broken up once again due to drug problems.
In 1983, Williams formed a new band under the
Christian Death name, this time with former members of Pompeii 99, with whom Christian Death had performed at a live show the previous year. The new lineup consisted of Williams as frontman,
Valor KandValor Kand is the current vocalist/guitarist/songwriter of Christian Death, an American deathrock/goth rock band once fronted by Rozz Williams. He is an ex-lover of Gitane Demone, with whom he has two children, Sevan Kand and Zara.-External links:...
on guitars,
Gitane DemoneGitane Demone is a singer and musician. She was a member of Christian Death in the 1980s, and is currently a solo artist.-Pompeii 99 and Christian Death:...
on keyboards and providing backing vocals, Constance Smith on bass and David Glass on drums. Williams had been the only original member of Christian Death left when he departed the group in 1985, yet the remaining members continued to perform and release several albums under the original group name. The latter is commonly called
Valor's Christian Death by Rozz's supporters since it was fronted by Valor Kand.
Williams released various material under different project names following his departure from the band; the first was Premature Ejaculation with
Ron AtheyRon Athey is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally . Athey's work explores challenging subjects like the relationships between desire, sexuality, and traumatic experience...
, and then
Shadow ProjectShadow Project were a deathrock band formed in the early 1990s with Rozz Williams, Eva O and Paris Sadonis. The band's first album included bassist Jill Emery and drummer Thomas Morgan....
with
Eva OEva Ortiz better known as Eva O is a music artist most notable for her previous works in Christian Death and a band she formed with her then husband Rozz Williams called Shadow Project...
, whom he married in San Francisco in 1987. The band lineup included Johann Schumann (bass) and also Barry Galvin and David Glass, both of who came from Valor's Christian Death. The name
Shadow Project, was taken from the tests in
Hiroshimais the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
following the nuclear bomb which left impressions or ‘shadows’, but no bodies.
Later on, Williams reformed Shadow Project with Eva O, Jill Emery (bass), Tom Morgan (drums), and Paris (keyboards). At the time, Rozz was increasingly falling under the influence of the philosophy of
Charles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
.
Williams also occasionally took part in Christian Death reunions during the late 1980s and early 1990s with
Rikk AgnewRichard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
, the guitarist on the band's first album. Williams and Eva O also released two new albums under the name Christian Death during the 1990s through
Cleopatra RecordsCleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
, resulting in two bands being called Christian Death. Valor Kand had since acquired the legal rights to the band name, and for this reason Cleopatra was forced to release Rozz's albums as
Christian Death featuring Rozz Williams.
In the summer of 1993, Shadow Project toured America. The band consisted of Williams, Eva, Paris, Mark Barone (bass) and Christian Omar Madrigal Izzo (drums). After this American tour, Eva O and Paris left the band to work on the Eva O Halo Experience CD
Demons Fall for an Angel's KissDemons Fall for an Angel's Kiss is the 1994 studio solo album of the American deathrock veteran musician Eva O.-Recording history:For this solo project, Eva O wanted to write a dark concept album about angels and began searching for literature about the subject, and the album was initially entitled...
. Shadow Project had come to an end; however a German tour for October had already been booked. Although all tickets, flyers and publicity for this tour would show
Shadow ProjectShadow Project were a deathrock band formed in the early 1990s with Rozz Williams, Eva O and Paris Sadonis. The band's first album included bassist Jill Emery and drummer Thomas Morgan....
, Williams had decided that the band name should change to
Daucus Karota. He sang on the tour, Brian Butler was the guitarist, Mark Barone played bass and Christian Omar Madrigal Izzo was on drums. For one show Gitane Demone drove from her home in
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to meet up with Williams backstage. The
Shrine EP by Daucus Karota was recorded in January 1994 with Mark Barone (bass), Chistian Omar Madrigal Izzo (drums) and Roxy (guitars). Daucus Karota returned to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for a month long European tour in November 1994, with Gitane Demone filling the support slot. The tour had Todd Dixon on drums, Mike Saavedra from Anal Kitties on bass and Brian Hansen on guitar. Brian had replaced Rolf Donath, who had been the guitarist for the band at shows in Los Angeles and Mexico during that summer.
In 1995, following his return from Europe, Williams joined forces with Paris and Ryan Wildstar to work on the spoken-word album,
The Whorse's MouthThe Whorse's Mouth is an experimental spoken word studio album by Rozz Williams. It was released on June 3, 1997 by Hollows Hill, and was Williams' last studio album before his suicide in 1998. The Whorse's Mouth deals with Williams' heroin addiction, and features artwork consisting of collages...
. The lyrics, co-written with Ryan Wildstar, chronicle a period of
heroin addiction from which the two eventually escaped. Shortly following the recording of
The Whorse's Mouth, Williams began playing bass for EXP, the musical troupe created by Paris and Ryan Wildstar. He went on to play bass on their self-titled debut album with fellow bandmates Paris (keyboards), Ryan Wildstar (vocals), Doriandra (vocals), Ace Farren Ford (horns/violin), Justin Bennett (drums) and Ignacio Segovia (percussion).
Just a year before his death, Williams again paired up with Eva O to record the final Shadow Project album,
From the Heart, an extremely intimate album with a notably stripped-down sound for the duo. He also recorded
Wound of Exit, his last solo CD as Premature Ejaculation.
Painting, acting, and other interests
In addition to his musical activities Williams had a keen interest in painting along with collaging, and several of his pieces have been exhibited. His attempts at establishing an acting career were less successful.
Death
On April 1, 1998, Williams hanged himself in his West Hollywood apartment. His body was discovered by Ryan Wildstar, his friend and roommate of seven years. Also present were Sindie Ardia, his childhood friend and her husband (at that time) Sydney B. Lanex. Williams was 34. A memorial was held at the
El Rey TheatreEl Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. "El Rey" means "The King" in Spanish....
shortly after his death, and a small gathering of family and friends offered his ashes to the earth at
Runyon Canyon ParkRunyon Canyon Park is a park in Los Angeles, California, at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, managed by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The southern entrance to the park is located at the north end of Fuller Avenue in Hollywood. The northern entrance is off the...
in the Hollywood Hills.
Christian Death (1979-1985, 1988-1994)
- Death Wish EP (Fr. L'Invitation au Suicide) 1981
- Only Theatre of Pain
Only Theatre of Pain was the debut studio album of American deathrock band Christian Death, originally released by Frontier Records in 1982. The album is considered the harbinger of deathrock....
(Frontier) 1982
- Catastrophe Ballet
Catastrophe Ballet is Christian Death's second studio album. This is the first album that featured Valor Kand. Besides Rozz, the lineup was completely different from Only Theatre of Pain. In addition, Rozz said that he got the idea for the bizarre looking album cover from a shroom...
(Fr. L'Invitation au Suicide) 1984
- Ashes (Nostradamus) 1985
- The Decomposition of Violets (Contempo Records) 1990
- The Iron Mask (Cleopatra) 1992
- Skeleton Kiss EP (Cleopatra) 1992
- Stick A finger Down Its Throat (Vision Of Fire Music) 1992
- The Path of Sorrows (Cleopatra) 1993
- Iconologia (Triple X) 1993
- Sleepless Nights: Live 1990 (Cleopatra) 1993
- Invocations: 1981-1989 (Cleopatra) 1993
- The Doll's Theatre : Live OCT. 31. 1981 (Cleopatra) 1994
- The Rage of Angels (Cleopatra) 1994
- Tales of Innocence: A Continued Anthology (Cleopatra) 1994
- Death in Detroit (Cleopatra) 1995
- Death Mix (Cleopatra) 1996
- Death Club (Cleopatra) 2005
Shadow Project (1987-1998)
- Shadow Project (Triple X) 1991
- Dreams for the Dying (Triple X) 1992
- Dead Babies/Killer (Triple X) Cassette 1992
- In Tuned Out — Live '93 (Triple X) 1994
- From the Heart (Hollows Hill Sound Recordings) 1998
- Shadow Project" 2005 (Release of demo handed around at shows circa 89)
Premature Ejaculation (1981-1998)
- PE - Pt.1 (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1981, double CD 2010
- PE - Pt.2 (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1981, double CD 2010
- A Little Hard to Swallow (Malaise Music) Cassette 1982, double CD 2010
- Living Monstrocities/Descent (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1985, double CD 2010
- Death Cultures (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1987, CD 2010
- Assertive Discipline (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1988, LP 1989, CD 1994
- Death Cultures III (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1988
- Night Sweats (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1988, CD 2010
- Blood Told in Spine (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1988, LP 1991
- Death Cultures (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1989
- Anesthesia (Dark Vinyl Records) CD 1992
- Necessary Discomforts (Cleopatra) CD 1993
- Estimating the Time of Death (Triple X) CD 1994
- Dead Horse Riddles (Malaise Music) Cassette 1994
- Error genetico (artificial hearing) 1995
- Wound of Exit (Hollows Hill Sound Recordings) double CD 1998
Happiest Place On Earth (1986)
- Body of a Crow (Happiest Tapes on Earth) Cassette 1986, CD 2010
Heltir (1987-1998)
- Il Banchetto Dei Cancri/VC-706 (Happiest Place on Earth) Cassette 1989
- 69 Rituals (Happiest Place on Earth) Cassette 1989
- Neue Sachlichkeit (Triple X) 1994
Rozz Williams (1992-1998)
- Every King a Bastard Son (Cleopatra) 1992
- The Whorse's Mouth
The Whorse's Mouth is an experimental spoken word studio album by Rozz Williams. It was released on June 3, 1997 by Hollows Hill, and was Williams' last studio album before his suicide in 1998. The Whorse's Mouth deals with Williams' heroin addiction, and features artwork consisting of collages...
(Hollows Hill Sound Recordings) 1996
- Live In Berlin (Hollows Hill Sound Recordings) 2000
- Accept The Gift of Sin (live album) (Hollows Hill Sound Recordings) 2003
- "Flowers" on Projekt’s A Dark Cabaret
-Track listing:#The Dresden Dolls – "Coin-Operated Boy" – 4:46#Revue Noir – "Sometimes, Sunshine" – 3:54#Jill Tracy – "Evil Night Together" – 4:33#Katzenjammer Kabarett – "Gemini Girly Song" – 4:28...
compilation album 2005
External links