| A Tribute to Rozz Williams |
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| Rozz Picture courtesy of Michelle Bridges Please visit her Tribute site at Http://www.onlytheatreofpain.com |
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| Rozz Williams (born Roger Painter) formed the legendary band Christian Death at the age of 16 in 1979. Christian Death was based on the punk ideology that anyone could throw a band together and make it a success, however it soon became part of new Deathrock/Gothic sound which was emerging from punk. The first album "Only Theatre of Pain" was released in 1984 and this was the last album to feature the original line up of Rozz, James McGearthy, Rik and Gearge Belanger. However Rozz joined forces with another band Pompeii 99 (whose members included Valor Kand, Gitane Demone and David Glass)and agreed to use Christian Death as their name. The new band Featured Rozz as lead vocalist, Gitane as secondary Vocalist and Keyboard, Valour as Lead Guitar and David Glass on drums. Two albums were released under this line up, (along with several bass players) Catastrophe Ballet and Ashes. Rozz then decided to move onto a more experimental format and left the band. However Pompeii 99 continued to tour under the name Christian Death and to sing songs written by Rozz, despite agreeing to change the name of the band to Sin and Sacrifice and agreeing to only use songs that they had helped write. Rozz moved on to several other projects including Premature Ejaculation and Shadow project (In which he worked alongside his wife Eva O , who had also been one of the backing singers on the OTOP album) Rozz decided to reform Christian Death under the label Cleopatra, after his former bandmates had declared him dead. Now two abnds Called Christian Death were firing off new releases. The court battle for the name Christian Death and Rozzs' troubled Heroin addiction both ended on April the 1st 1998, when Rozz hanged himself His death robbed the Gothic/.Darkwave scene of one of its most legendary and influential figures Many bands of lesser talent (Marilyn Manson, Nine inch Nails, Ministry)have tried to follow in Rozzs' footsteps, but Rozzs' music, art and poetry "proves that few will ever travel so far, or make the journey with such wide eyed curiosity as he did." RIP Rozz Nov 6 1963 - April 1 1998 |