Teenage Head Frontman Dies

10/15/08 5:01pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Teenage Head frontman Frankie Venom has died.

According to a press release, Venom (real name Frank Kerr) died on Wednesday of natural causes. Venom was 51 years old.

Venom formed Teenage Head with guitarist Gord Lewis, bassist Steve Mahon and drummer Nick Stipanitz in Hamilton in 1975. The four went to Westdale High School together, but weren't friends.

Their first single, "Picture My Face," came out in 1978 and they soon acquired a following in Toronto. Their self-titled album came out a year later, and they soon became known as the "Canadian Ramones."

Venom left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Dave Desroches. Venom later reunited with Lewis, Mahon and new drummer Jack Pedler. The band hit the studio in 2003 to record new material with Ramones drummer Marky Ramone. That album, Teenage Head With Marky Ramone, came out earlier this year.

Additionally, The Last Pogo, a documentary about a 1978 Teenage Head show at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern which ended in a riot, was released on DVD earlier this year. Filmmaker Colin Brunton recently began making The Last Pogo Jumps Again, a documentary about what happened to all those who were at the gig.

Check out our The Last Pogo DVD review here