Rozz Williams
He was an American musician, poet, artist, and performance artist, most known for his work with the bands Christian Death, Shadow Project, and the industrial project Premature Ejaculation.
Born in Pomona, Southern California on 6 November 1963, Roger Alan Painter was the youngest of the family. His parents were both Southern Baptists so he and his 2 brothers and an elder sister endured a strict religious upbringing.
He first began to take a keen interest in music at the age of 9, listening to David Bowie, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, The New York Dolls and many others. He knew even then that he wanted to be a musician. When he reached adolescence he was attracted to the American Punk scene and even shaved his head. By the time Roger was turning 16 years of age, he decided to start making music rather than just listening to it. He took the name of Rozz Williams from a gravestone he found in his favorite cemetery.
Rozz was found hanged on 1 April 1998 (he was 34). He was found by Ryan, his roommate in their West Hollywood apartment. He did not leave a suicide note and it is not known why Rozz would have wanted to take his own life. It is known that his alcoholism was beginning to affect him badly, but like his drug addictions, he had always managed to get through any physical and emotional problems that he had. Many of his friends believe that the date had a deeply personal significance for Rozz.
A memorial was held at the El Rey Theatre shortly after his death, and a small gathering of family and friends offered his ashes to the earth at Runyon Canyon.
The last project that Rozz had been involved with before his death, was a film called PIG, which was released at the beginning of 1999. Nico B. directed the film, and Chuck Collison completed the soundtrack. In 2000, the book The Art of Rozz Williams was released, which gives a detailed history of Rozz’s life and art.
On April 1st, 2001, the three-year anniversary of his death, there was a public memorial at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in West Hollywood, California. The memorial drew family, friends, and fans from around the world. There is now a permanent memorial niche in the columbarium section of Hollywood Forever Cemetery.