Bryan Gregory
Encyclopedia
Bryan Gregory was an American rock musician, and founding member of and guitarist for The Cramps
.
Gregory took the name Bryan after Brian Jones
from The Rolling Stones
whom he was a big fan of. He met Cramps member Lux Interior at a mutual job they shared at a record store in NYC. He shared his birthday with fellow member Poison Ivy
. Bryan took up second guitar in April 1976 and was a distinctive sight in the early incarnation of the Cramps, along with his sister Pam Balaam (Pam Beckerleg) on drums. He was known for his oozing guitar sound, wild stage antics, long hair with a skunk stripe over his eye, and acne scarred face. He appeared on The Cramps first two albums Gravest Hits
and Songs The Lord Taught Us
. He left the band in 1980 with most of the equipment (no police report or proof was established) and was later replaced by Kid Congo Powers
from the Gun Club.
After the Cramps, Gregory went on to play in Beast from 1980-1984. He helped to produced a pilot video, 'A Horror Show caller Frezzer', with writer Char Rao, a former Cramps associate, but were unable to sell it in Ohio. He played a Zombie in George Romero's Day of the Dead
with fellow Zombie fans Mike Metoff (Pagans guitarist and, at the time, temporary guitarist with The Cramps) and Char Rao in Pittsburgh. After moving to Florida he successfully managed an Adult Book Store in Sarasota Fla. where he settled for several years, although he was virtually unemployable due to his punk looks.
Gregory had a social reunion with The Cramps members Lux, Ivy & Nick backstage in St. Petersburg, Florida. early 1990s. Lux dedicated his last song of the night to Bryan. Gregory moved to Los Angeles after his divorce, forming the The Dials from 1992–1995 and a band called Shiver with former musicians James Christ and Andrella (former band members of Beast and The Veil).
At the time of his death Gregory had been losing interest in his music goals. He reported he was feeling "exhausted and run down" having put it down to working nights and taking care of a sick friend full time. Gregory drove himself to the emergency room for a check up at 4 a.m. Once there, he was transferred to another hospital, Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, Anaheim, California
, where suddenly and unexpectedly he was felled by a multiple systems failure.
His brother Rick Beckerleg, a Vietnam
veteran and Fireman from Detroit, Michigan
, was by his side at his death.
He was also close to his sister Pam Beckerleg, whom he referred to as "Little Wing" (a tattoo he wore in her honor).
Gregory was an avid Science Fiction
and horror film fan of characters such as Frankenstein
's Monster.
In addition to his love of music he also designed jewellery, did charcoal drawings, clothing art design, theater makeup and horror costume design in Cleveland, Ohio and Florida
.
Gregory supported Native American
causes and was reported by his Mother (now deceased) to be a descendant of Civil War General William Sherman.
Although his religious background was Catholic
in his youth, he experimented in several religious cults and found them unsatisfactory.
Gregory's ashes are buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
, and Sonic Boom
, as well as others who would go on to make up the shoegaze scene of the mid-'80s.
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
.
Gregory took the name Bryan after Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
from The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
whom he was a big fan of. He met Cramps member Lux Interior at a mutual job they shared at a record store in NYC. He shared his birthday with fellow member Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillainess who is primarily an enemy of Batman. Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, she first appeared in Batman #181 ....
. Bryan took up second guitar in April 1976 and was a distinctive sight in the early incarnation of the Cramps, along with his sister Pam Balaam (Pam Beckerleg) on drums. He was known for his oozing guitar sound, wild stage antics, long hair with a skunk stripe over his eye, and acne scarred face. He appeared on The Cramps first two albums Gravest Hits
Gravest Hits
Gravest Hits is the debut 12" EP by the American garage punk band The Cramps. It was released in July 1979 on Illegal Records and I.R.S. Records. It was produced by Alex Chilton and recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis in 1977. It featured liner notes by "Dr. J.H...
and Songs The Lord Taught Us
Songs the Lord Taught Us
Songs the Lord Taught Us is the debut studio album by the American garage punk band The Cramps. It was released in 1980 on Illegal Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Lux Interior - vocals*Poison Ivy Rorschach - guitar*Bryan Gregory - guitar...
. He left the band in 1980 with most of the equipment (no police report or proof was established) and was later replaced by Kid Congo Powers
Kid Congo Powers
Kid Congo Powers is the stage name of Brian Tristan , an American rock guitarist and singer, best known as a member of The Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.-Biography:...
from the Gun Club.
After the Cramps, Gregory went on to play in Beast from 1980-1984. He helped to produced a pilot video, 'A Horror Show caller Frezzer', with writer Char Rao, a former Cramps associate, but were unable to sell it in Ohio. He played a Zombie in George Romero's Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality...
with fellow Zombie fans Mike Metoff (Pagans guitarist and, at the time, temporary guitarist with The Cramps) and Char Rao in Pittsburgh. After moving to Florida he successfully managed an Adult Book Store in Sarasota Fla. where he settled for several years, although he was virtually unemployable due to his punk looks.
Gregory had a social reunion with The Cramps members Lux, Ivy & Nick backstage in St. Petersburg, Florida. early 1990s. Lux dedicated his last song of the night to Bryan. Gregory moved to Los Angeles after his divorce, forming the The Dials from 1992–1995 and a band called Shiver with former musicians James Christ and Andrella (former band members of Beast and The Veil).
At the time of his death Gregory had been losing interest in his music goals. He reported he was feeling "exhausted and run down" having put it down to working nights and taking care of a sick friend full time. Gregory drove himself to the emergency room for a check up at 4 a.m. Once there, he was transferred to another hospital, Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, where suddenly and unexpectedly he was felled by a multiple systems failure.
His brother Rick Beckerleg, a Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
veteran and Fireman from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, was by his side at his death.
He was also close to his sister Pam Beckerleg, whom he referred to as "Little Wing" (a tattoo he wore in her honor).
Gregory was an avid Science Fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror film fan of characters such as Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
's Monster.
In addition to his love of music he also designed jewellery, did charcoal drawings, clothing art design, theater makeup and horror costume design in Cleveland, Ohio and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Gregory supported Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
causes and was reported by his Mother (now deceased) to be a descendant of Civil War General William Sherman.
Although his religious background was Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
in his youth, he experimented in several religious cults and found them unsatisfactory.
Gregory's ashes are buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.
Legacy and influence
His noisy brand of guitar playing was an inspiration to people like Jim ReidJim Reid
Jim Reid is the lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, which he formed with his elder brother and guitarist William Reid -The Jesus and Mary Chain:...
, and Sonic Boom
Peter Kember
Peter Kember is a British musician and producer, more usually known as Sonic Boom, and was a founding member of alternative rock band Spacemen 3....
, as well as others who would go on to make up the shoegaze scene of the mid-'80s.