Blitz

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.

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?

• 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.