Gwar Frontman Dave Brockie, a.k.a. Oderus Urungus, Dead at 50

Heavy metal musician founded the Richmond-based band in 1984

By Peter Gicas Mar 24, 2014 8:51 PMTags
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Sad day for heavy metal fans.

Dave Brockie, a founder of the band Gwar, was found dead on Sunday in his Richmond, Va., home. He was 50.

"It is with a saddened heart that I confirm that my dear friend Dave Brockie, artist, musician and lead singer of Gwar passed away," band manager Jack Flanagan said in a statement, shortly after Richmond newspaper Style Weekly first reported the news.

According to a member of the Richmond Police Department, Brockie, who went by the stage name Oderus Urungus, was found dead by his roommate. No foul play is suspected and a full autopsy will be performed.

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"Dave was one of the funniest, smartest, most creative and energetic persons I've known," former Gwar bassist Mike Bishop told Style Weekly. "He was brash sometimes, always crass, irreverent, he was hilarious in every way. But he was also deeply intelligent and interested in life, history, politics and art."

Gwar was formed in 1984 and its members were known for wearing outlandish costumes on stage, often referring to themselves as the "Scumdogs of the Universe."

In 2011, the band suffered the loss of lead guitarist Cory Smoot, aka Flattus Maximus, who died of a heart attack caused by coronary heart disease at the age of 34.