John Kezdy, Frontman of The Effigies, Dead at 64 After Bicycle Crash
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The post John Kezdy, Frontman of The Effigies, Dead at 64 After Bicycle Crash appeared first on Consequence.
John Kezdy, the frontman of Chicago-based punk band The Effigies, has died at age 64. The singer lost his life after his bicycle smashed into the back of an Amazon delivery van that was parked in a bike lane in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe.
“Based on the initial investigation, the bicyclist was traveling northbound on Sheridan Road past South Avenue when he struck the rear of a stopped Dodge Ram ProMaster,” read a statement from the Glencoe Public Safety Department. The incident happened on Wednesday (August 23rd) and Kezdy succumbed to his injuries on Saturday (August 26th).
A further investigation will determine if the delivery van was illegally parked in the bike lane.
Kezdy formed The Effigies in 1980. They released three full-length albums and a few EPs in the ’80s before breaking up in 1990. They re-formed in 2004, and released another album, Reside, in 2007.
Just last year, on July 4th, 2022, Kezdy was one of many people shot at the Highland Park Parade. He survived the mass shooting, which killed seven and injured more than 40 others.
Outside of music, Kezdy attained degrees from Northwestern and DePaul College of Law, and worked as a prosecutor at the Illinois State’s Attorney Office in Kankakee and as a bureau chief of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
Renowned Chicago-based producer and Big Black frontman Steve Albini mourned Kezdy’s loss, even crediting The Effigies with inspiring his career. “John Kezdy was a hero of mine,” wrote Albini. “Effigies were the first great band from Chicago’s scene, his stern, declamatory style influenced a generation and he helped me in material ways. Not overstating to say that without John and the Effigies, I would never have made any records.”
Kezdy’s younger brother, Pierre Kezdy, played bass in Naked Raygun. He died of cancer in 2020.
Our condolences go out to John Kezdy’s family, friends, and bandmates during this difficult time. Video of The Effigies performing live in 1987 can be seen below.
John Kezdy was a hero of mine. Effigies were the first great band from Chicago's scene, his stern, declamatory style influenced a generation and he helped me in material ways. Not overstating to say that without John and the Effigies, I would never have made any records.
🎈— steve albini (@electricalWSOP) August 27, 2023
John Kezdy, Frontman of The Effigies, Dead at 64 After Bicycle Crash
Spencer Kaufman
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