The Germs bassist Lorna Doom, aka Teresa Ryan, has died aged 61.
The news was confirmed by her former bandmate Don Bolles via Facebook. Initially he simply posted "Lorna", but since tributes have been written on his account he has commented: "She's gone, gang. It's official." The cause of death is currently uknown. There are reports she was 50 years old, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Bassist Doom, drummer Dolles, singer Darby Crash and guitarist Pat Smear - who later went on to join Nirvana and Foo Fighters - made their mark on the hardcore punk scene in the late 1970s. Despite only releasing one album, 1979's Joan Jett-produced 'GI', they were considered influential to the punk acts that followed them. The band parted ways in 1980 after Crash's suicide.
The Germs appeared in Penelope Spheeris' 1981 documentary about the Los Angeles punk scene, The Decline of Western Civilization. In 2005 a biographical film about the band, What We Do Is Secret, was premiered, the production party for which saw them play together for the first time since they disbanded, with actor Shane West stepping in for Crash.
UPDATE January 18: In a statement via Pitchfork, Doom's family explained she died following a "year-long battle with cancer."
Teresa Ryan a/k/a Lorna Doom was always a woman of mystery. So much so, that even in her final days as she fought a tough, year-long battle with cancer, very few people even knew she was ill. She kept a very close knit social circle, and those who knew her and loved her always respected her desire for privacy.
When she finally lost her struggle with cancer at 12:50 pm yesterday, Wednesday January 16th, it came as a shock to many, as she had chosen to not burden others with what she was going through.
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