The punk world's lost one of its true originals. Cheetah Chrome's feral approach to the guitar defined an era when rock music needed shaking up, and the Dead Boys made sure it stayed dangerous and unhinged. That raw energy he brought, the kind that can't be taught or manufactured, is exactly what made punk matter in the first place, and his influence stretches far beyond the bands that came directly after him. If you've ever loved a guitar that sounded like it was on the verge of falling apart, you owe a debt to what Cheetah Chrome helped create.