Lorna Doom

Lorna Doom
Lorna Doom performing with the Germs in 2009
Lorna Doom performing with the Germs in 2009
Background information
Birth nameTeresa Marie Ryan
BornJanuary 4, 1958
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
DiedJanuary 16, 2019 (aged 61)
Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.
GenresPunk rock
InstrumentBass
Years active1976−1980, 2005-2009

Lorna Doom (born Teresa Marie Ryan, January 4, 1958[1] – January 16, 2019)[2] was an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for the punk rock band the Germs from 1976 to 1980, and again after they got back together from 2005 to 2009.[3][2]

Early life

[edit]

Doom grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, and attended Newbury Park High School, where she met Belinda Carlisle.[4][5]

Career

[edit]

Doom was a friend of Germs founders Darby Crash and Pat Smear, and joined despite lack of musical ability, having answered a flyer looking for "two untalented girls" with Carlisle.[6] She originally quit the band in 1980 after Crash fired Don Bolles, the band's drummer.[7] After Crash's death, Doom moved to New York City where she lived until the late 1990s.[8]

A movie based on the Germs, What We Do Is Secret, was released in 2007, and in it, Doom was played by Bijou Phillips. The following year, the band received a star on the Guitar Center RockWalk, which she was present for.

Death and legacy

[edit]

Doom died of breast cancer on January 16, 2019.[2]

Bassist Kira Roessler spoke about Doom's contribution: "...she was an under-rated musician and, in my mind, quite a presence on the instrument. The Germs were a band that influenced far more people than ever heard them live, and I think Lorna's contribution lives on in that way."[9] Guitarist Greg Hetson recalled seeing her in the 1970s and says she proved "You can rock hard and you don't have to be a guy."[10] Laura Jane Grace tweeted "I can still see the ‘Germs burn’ on my wrist from when I was 14 years old. Few bands had as big of an impact on me. Rest In Peace Lorna Doom." Flea said, "I love Lorna Doom so much, I can't count the times I lay on the floor listening to her play, imagining her rocking out, laying it down in her inimitable way. I always wanted to meet her and never got to, but I feel a bond with her anyways. I admire her always and she is part of who I am. R.I.P. Broken through to the other side Lorna Doom."[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pareles, Jon (2019-01-18). "Lorna Doom, Bassist in the Punk Band Germs, Is Dead at 61". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  2. ^ a b c Bloom, Madison (2019-01-17). "Germs Bassist Lorna Doom Dead at 61". Pitchfork (in Latin). Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  3. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (2019-01-17). "Lorna Doom, bassist with cult Los Angeles punk band Germs, dies". the Guardian. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  4. ^ Carlisle, Belinda (2010). Lips unsealed : a memoir. New York: Crown. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-307-46350-0. OCLC 432993121.
  5. ^ Kereakes, Theresa (2007-08-22). "Lorna Doom of the Germs". Punk Turns 30. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  6. ^ Mullen, Brendan (2000-12-27). "Annihilation Man". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  7. ^ Brown, Peter Robert (2011). "Strange Notes from the LA Punk Underground: The Durability of Darby Crash and the Germs". Canadian Review of American Studies. 41 (2): 203–205. doi:10.3138/cras.41.2.199. S2CID 145415840.
  8. ^ Zaleski, Annie (2008-09-12). "Germs Bassist Lorna Doom on Movie About Her Band: "It's a Good Crazy"". Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  9. ^ Cohan, Brad (February 14, 2019). "Bass Wars: A spiel with Devin Hoff and Kira from AwkWard". Rock & Roll Globe. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  10. ^ Carrier, Shannon (January 17, 2019). "Lorna Doom, a Legendary Presence in LA Punk, Has Died". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "In Memory Of Germs Bassist Lorna Doom: A Punk Icon And Inspiration". Kerrang!. 17 January 2019.