LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Howie Pyro, an established DJ and co-founding bassist of punk band D Generation has died at the age of 61. Pyro passed of COVID-19-related pneumonia after a long battle with liver disease. Pyro had received a liver transplant in 2021 and had been recovering at a Los Angeles hospital.
Fellow band member and friend Jesse Malin confirmed Pyro’s death via his official Facebook post. It reads in part, “We made our world together. From Whitestone, Queens to Madison Square Garden and every crazy, dirty, little place in-between. I learned so much from him. He made this planet a much better, cooler, weirder, and more beautiful place.”
Pyro, born Howard Kusten grew up in Queens. At the tender age of 15, he changed his name to Howie Pyro and formed The Blessed, hanging out with punk staples Sid Vicious and Debbie Harry. He would go on to form punk act D Generation in the early 90’s before heading out west to pursue his DJ career – and succeed he did, DJing the wedding of Christina Aguilera. D Generation reunited in 2016 (They split in 2011) releasing the LP Nothing is Anywhere.
In early 2022, Malin organized benefit concerts for Pyro with members of D Generation, Rival Sons, (Pyro toured as a DJ with them), the Lunachicks, and L7.
Pyro’s family is asking those who wish to pay tribute should consider donating to the UCLA Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation.
