Alan Vega dead: Suicide frontman dies aged 78

The vocalist of iconic New York proto-punk electronic band has died peacefully in his sleep

Vega formed Suicide in 1970 with keyboardist Martin Rev and the pair quickly went on to become trailblazing music pioneers (AFP/Getty)

Alan Vega, the frontman of influential American electronic musical duo Suicide, has died at the age of 78.

The former Black Flag vocalist and radio host Henry Rollins broke the news with a statement from Vega’s family posted on his website.

“Alan passed peacefully in his sleep last night, July 16,” the statement said. “He was 78 years of age.”

“Alan was not only relentlessly creative, writing music and painting until the end, he was also startlingly unique. Along with Martin Rev, in the early 1970s, they formed the two-person avant band known as Suicide.

“Almost immediately, their incredible and unclassifiable music went against every possible grain. Their confrontational live performances, light years before punk rock, are the stuff of legend. Their first, self-titled album is one of the single most challenging and noteworthy achievements in American music.”

Rollins’ show on radio station KCRW tomorrow will be dedicated to Vega and his enduring musical legacy.

Vega formed the iconic New York proto-punk band Suicide in 1970 with keyboardist Martin Rev and the pair quickly went on to become music pioneers. Raised in a Jewish household in Brooklyn, Vega was working in sculpture and discovering electronics at the Project of Living Artists when he encountered Rev. Once the band formed, they quickly became known for their outlandish performances in which Vega would brandish a motorcycle chain on stage.

Suicide eventually became inactive in the 1980s but Vega became a popular singer in France for a short period of time and released a number of solo albums.

Despite being in delicate health after suffering a stroke in 2012, he continued to perform and just last year he appeared at the Barbican in London for a “punk mass” reminiscent of their first show.

Vega is survived by his wife Liz and his son Dante.

Tributes for the musician have poured in from around the world on social media.

“Just remembering how Alan Vega would sing his Je T’adore (spelling?) to me & Perri Lister when we attended his solo gigs early 80’s…RIP,” wrote Billy Idol on Twitter.

“Rest In Peace Alan Vega. A real legend deserving of that much misused title,” said a fan. “Suicide were a band that influenced so many bands I love. This absolutely sucks. RIP Alan Vega,” added another.