OBITUARIES
In memoriam

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Steve “Stevo” Jensen (1959-2005)

MAUI, Hawaii August 25, 2005 -- Former Vandals lead singer Steven “Stevo” Jensen passed away at his home on the island of Maui last weekend due to causes as yet unknown.

Jensen sang for the Vandals from 1980 through 1984, appearing on the band’s first two full-lengths, Peace Through Vandalism and When In Rome, Do As The Vandals before being replaced by current vocalist Dave Quackenbush.

Guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann had the following to say: “First as his friend and then as his bandmate, I noticed that whoever met Stevo was touched by his unique sense of humor and talent for entertaining. Trust me... there was nothing he wouldn’t do for a laugh. I was constantly surprised and entertained by Stevo, even at our own shows. Stevo was a great friend and an outstanding entertainer. Anybody who came to our shows knew that. The Vandals of the Stevo years (1980-84) stood for nothing more than having a good time and poking a little fun at such a serious and confusing world. Stevo’s Vandals had no dogma, no agenda, no anger, and no greed... Stevo was an inspiration to me and was always our friend... always. On behalf of myself and Vandals bassist Steve “Human” Pfauter, we extend our sincere condolences to Stevo’s parents and family. Long Live Stevo... Anarchy Burgers for everyone!”

Services were held in both Maui and Los Angeles, CA.

See Stevo Jensen photos and bio: stevojensen.com

Randy “Biscuit” Turner (1956-2005)

AUSTIN August 19, 2005 -- The sad news has come in that Randall J. “Biscuit” Turner of pioneering Austin punk act Big Boys has passed away. Formed in the late 1970s, the Big Boys consisted of the occasionally cross-dressing Randy “Biscuit” Turner on vocals, with Tim Kerr on guitar, Chris Gates playing bass, and Rey Washam on drums. Though clearly driven by hardcore punk, the band also dabbled with humor, eclectic songwriting, and a funk influence which made them a precursor to bands like Fishbone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Big Boys also played an early brand of post-punk not unlike their contemporaries The Minutemen. The band gained a loyal national following after appearances in a number of skateboard magazines and popular compilations. Big Boys were known to encourage crowd participation and would break down the barriers between performer and audience.

In 1993, Touch and Go compiled two anthology CDs for the band, entitled The Skinny Elvis and The Fat Elvis, and included liner notes with essays from Fugazi / Minor threat frontman Ian MacKaye and producer Steve Albini. At the end of early shows, the band was famous for yelling, “OK, y’all, go start your own band.”

Esther Wong (1917-2005)

LOS ANGELES August 18, 2005 -- Esther Wong, the famed promoter affectionately known as the “godmother of punk,” passed away this past Sunday at her Los Angeles home. She was 88. Wong’s daughter Melinda Braun made the announcement this Wednesday. Esther suffered from cancer and emphysema.

Born in Shanghai, Wong moved to Los Angeles in 1949 following the revolution in China. Her first Madame Wong’s nightclub opened in the late `60s. In 1978, the clubs, which had previously booked Polynesian music, switched to a rock format and became a hub for many then-emerging punk and new wave acts, including the Police, X, the Ramones, the Go-Gos, Oingo Boingo and many others. The original Madame Wong’s closed in 1985, with a second, Madame Wong’s West, continuing until 1991.

“Before, I didn’t think I’d ever like rock music,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1979. “Now I can turn it on, and it doesn’t bother me.”

As her clubs flourished, Wong quickly became known as a no-nonsense proprietor. She once halted a performance by the Ramones until the band members left the stage and cleaned up the graffiti they had put on a bathroom wall. She rarely booked female singers, calling them “no good, always trouble,” and she was known to go into the audience to try to sniff out marijuana smokers.

Wong is survived by her second husband Harry, son Frank, daughter Melinda, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

John Loder (1946-2005)

LONDON August 16, 2005 -- Southern Records founder John Loder passed away this past Saturday. His longtime collaborators at Dischord Records have issued the following statement:

"On August 13th, we lost our dear friend and business partner, John Loder. John ran Southern Studios in London and has worked with Dischord for the past twenty-one years overseeing the manufacturing and distribution of many of our releases. Without John and Southern, Dischord would have never been able to have done so much in that time.

"While his brilliance with computers and distribution was unquestionable, John’s first and foremost love was music. He operated a studio out of a garage behind his house in the Wood Green neighborhood in London and recorded a number of Dischord releases there including Fugazi’s Margin Walker E.P in 1988 (these songs appear on the 13 Songs CD). He also engineered and produced records for Crass and bands that appeared on their label, Corpus Christi, as well as many others including The Subhumans, Babes in Toyland, Shellac, Ministry, PJ Harvey, and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

"John spent the last year battling the effects of a serious seizure caused by a brain tumor, but his condition worsened in the last month. He died peacefully and with loved ones early Saturday morning."

Stories courtesy of Punknews.org.

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