Blitz

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Johnny Blitz met Cheetah Chrome through a classified ad, and together they played small gigs in short-lived bands. In early 1975, Blitz and Chrome were recruited to Rocket From the Tombs. The band broke up within the year. After the break up, Blitz and Chrome teamed up with singer Stiv Bators, rhythm guitarist Jimmy Zero, and bassist Jeff Magnum to form a band called Frankenstein. Eventually, the band renamed themselves Dead Boys and recruited James Sliman to be their manager. On April 19, 1978, during his time with Dead Boys, Blitz and a group of friends were in Manhattan's East Village when they became involved in an altercation with a separate group. During the altercation, Blitz was stabbed 5 times. The injury caused him to be hospitalized for months. A four day benefit (Blitz Benefit) was held at CBGB to help with medical bills. Over 30 bands performed and a t-shirt was designed by Arturo Vega.

In Their Own Story

After leaving Dead Boys and New York City in 1980, Johnny Blitz moved to Toronto with his wife at that time, "B Girl" Lucasta Ross. He joined up with singer/guitarist/songwriter Leo DeLyon and bassist Tommy "Gun" Keating from power punk trio The Blitz. Blitz and DeLyon later formed a band called Slaughterhouse with Mark Crosley on bass. The band played Toronto's top clubs and concert venues with a large fan following that guaranteed a packed audience at every gig. Slaughterhouse and Cheetah Chrome's band, Cheetah Chrome and Skells, headlined on Saturday, August 6, 1983 at New York City's CBGB. Dead Boys bassist Jeff Magnum came to the show to see his old bandmates. Later that night, Magnum joined Chrome and Blitz on-stage to play some Dead Boys songs for the show's encore. After Blitz and Lucasta Ross split, he remarried and fathered three boys. Blitz and DeLyon went on to form The Tribe with keyboard player Polly Gruen and bassist Tommy "Gun" Keating. Together, The Tribe recorded originals that were a little more mainstream. After taking a few years off to focus on family, Blitz, DeLyon, and Keating regrouped back to their power punk three-piece hardcore roots to form Raw Dog. The group co-wrote and arranged all original material. They recorded a number of unreleased songs at Comfort Sound and Metalworks studios. These songs included "In From the Cold", "I Like Girls", "Television Religion", "Call of the Wild", "Anxiety", "Kill 'Em All", and many more. Blitz returned to Cleveland for the Dead Boys reunion gig in 2004 at Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom. The reunion included a question-and-answer session at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The reunited Dead Boys also performed at CBGB in 2005. Blitz and DeLyon went their separate ways in 2007. Between 2007 and 2012, Blitz continued as a drummer in a number of rock outfits including The Highschool Hookers (2007-2008) and Smash the Hammer (2012). In September 2017, Blitz and Chrome reunited the Dead Boys with a new lineup for a 40th anniversary tour along with a new album, Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40, a re-recording of their debut album. The new lineup included vocalist Jake Hout, guitarist Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz and bassist Ricky Rat, alongside Chrome and Blitz.

Reader's Guide

Johnny Blitz is a punk rock drummer from Cleveland, Ohio, best known as a member of the bands Dead Boys and Rocket From The Tombs. As a member of the Dead Boys, he helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude of the mid to late 1970s. He met Cheetah Chrome through a classified ad, and together they played small gigs in short-lived bands. In early 1975, Blitz and Chrome were recruited to Rocket From the Tombs. After that band broke up, Blitz and Chrome teamed up with Stiv Bators, Jimmy Zero, and Jeff Magnum to form Frankenstein, which later renamed itself Dead Boys. On April 19, 1978, Blitz was stabbed 5 times in an altercation in Manhattan's East Village, leading to months of hospitalization and a four-day benefit at CBGB with over 30 bands. After leaving Dead Boys and New York City in 1980, he moved to Toronto and formed Slaughterhouse with Leo DeLyon and Mark Crosley. Slaughterhouse headlined at CBGB on August 6, 1983 alongside Cheetah Chrome and Skells. Later, Blitz formed The Tribe with DeLyon, Polly Gruen, and Tommy "Gun" Keating, recording more mainstream originals. He then formed Raw Dog with DeLyon and Keating, recording unreleased songs including "In From the Cold", "I Like Girls", "Television Religion", "Call of the Wild", "Anxiety", and "Kill 'Em All". Blitz participated in the Dead Boys reunion in 2004 at Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom, which included a Q&A at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and another performance at CBGB in 2005. Between 2007 and 2012, he drummed for The Highschool Hookers (2007-2008) and Smash the Hammer (2012). In September 2017, he reunited the Dead Boys with a new lineup for a 40th anniversary tour and the album Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40.

Did You Know?

• Johnny Blitz was stabbed 5 times on April 19, 1978 in Manhattan's East Village.
• A four-day benefit called the Blitz Benefit was held at CBGB to help with his medical bills, featuring over 30 bands.
• Blitz moved to Toronto in 1980 with his wife Lucasta Ross, known as "B Girl".
• Slaughterhouse, a band Blitz formed with Leo DeLyon and Mark Crosley, headlined at CBGB on Saturday, August 6, 1983.
• In September 2017, Blitz and Cheetah Chrome reunited the Dead Boys for a 40th anniversary tour and a re-recorded album titled Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40.