John Kezdy, singer of the Chicago post-hardcore punk band the Effigies, has died. In keeping with native stories, Kezdy succumbed to collision accidents after an Amazon supply van illegally stopped in a motorbike lane on Wednesday afternoon within the Chicago suburb of Glencoe. “Based mostly on the preliminary investigation, the bicyclist was touring northbound on Sheridan Street previous South Avenue when he struck the rear of a stopped Dodge Ram ProMaster,” reads a press release from the Glencoe Public Security Division. Kezdy was reportedly handled “with lifesaving measures” and brought to Evanston Hospital in essential situation. He was pronounced lifeless on Saturday night. Kezdy was 64.
A resident of Highland Park, Kezdy was an athletic bicycle owner and legal professional. He had even survived being injured within the 2022 mass taking pictures at that suburb’s Fourth Of July parade. After graduating from Evanston Township Excessive Faculty, Kezdy attended the College Of Wisconsin for one 12 months earlier than turning into the singer for the Effigies, which shaped within the early ’80s as a part of Chicago’s punk scene and had been lively till 1990. Kezdy’s youthful brother Pierre Kezdy, who died of most cancers in October 2020, performed bass in space punk bands Strike Underneath and Bare Raygun.
The Effigies launched 5 albums and several other EPs, most of which had been on the label they based in 1981, Ruthless Data (distributed by Enigma). After splitting up in 1990, the Effigies ultimately re-formed in 2004 and launched their first album in practically 20 years, 2004’s Reside. The Effigies had been additionally featured within the 2007 movie You Weren’t There, in regards to the Chicago punk scene from 1977 by means of 1984. Outdoors of the Effigies, Kezdy additionally performed within the short-lived band the Corrosives.
Later in his life, Kezdy earned levels from Northwestern and DePaul School Of Regulation. He labored as a prosecutor with the Illinois State’s Lawyer Workplace in Kankakee and bureau chief of the Workplace Of The Illinois Lawyer Normal. He retired from the Lawyer Normal’s workplace final 12 months however continued to do part-time authorized work.
“John Kezdy was a hero of mine,” wrote producer Steve Albini on Twitter. “Effigies had been the primary nice band from Chicago’s scene, his stern, declamatory model influenced a era and he helped me in materials methods. Not overstating to say that with out John and the Effigies, I might by no means have made any information.”
