Naked Raygun Bassist Pierre Kezdy, Dead At 58

CHICAGO (CelebrityAccess) — Pierre Kezdy, the bass guitarist for the Chicago-based punk band Naked Raygun, died on Friday. He was 58.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Kezdy died in a hospice in Glenview after a battle with cancer.

Kezdy joined Naked Raygun in 1985, stepping in on base after the departure of Camilo Gonzalez after lying about his skills as a musician.

“He didn’t even know how to play an instrument,” the band’s manager Lou Lombardo told the Sun-Times. “He basically lied and said he knew how to play and taught himself to play.”

He remained Naked Raygun’s bassist until the band split in 1992 but rejoined them a decade later for a series of reunion performances but stepped away again in 2011 after suffering a stroke.

Despite his initial lack of experience, Kezdy went on to write music for Naked Raygun, including “Home” and “Vanilla Blue.”

He also performed in several other Chicago punk acts, including Pegboy, Strike Other, Arsenal, Trial By Fire, and the Effigies, the first punk band he joined alongside of his brother.

Like other members of the group, Kezdy kept his day job and worked as a plumber, the Sun-Times reported.