Urge Overkill drummer Johnny 'Blackie Onassis' Rowan dies, band announces: 'He will be missed'

Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
Updated ·1 min read
Actor Terry Carter, best known for his roles on "Battlestar Galactica" and "McCloud," died Tuesday at the age of 95.

Johnny "Blackie Onassis" Rowan, best known as drummer of the '90s alternative rock band Urge Overkill, has died.

The band confirmed Rowan's death in an Instagram post Wednesday. A cause of death was not given.

"Urge Overkill is saddened to report that Blackie has passed away," the band wrote. "Please respect our privacy at this time. We are sending much love to his family and all his fans. We know he will be missed."

USA TODAY has reached out to Urge Overkill's representative for additional comment.

Rowan joined the Chicago rockers' lineup – including vocalist-guitarists Eddie Roeser and Nash Kato – for the group's third album "The Supersonic Storybook," released in March 1991. The album earned the band notoriety in the indie rock underground scene, thanks in part to a tour slot opening for grunge titans Nirvana on the Nevermind tour.

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Rowan also played on the band's 1992 EP "Stull," which featured Urge Overkill's signature hit "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," a Neil Diamond cover that was featured in the Quentin Tarantino film "Pulp Fiction."

Rowan continued to enjoy success with Urge Overkill on the band’s fourth album and major-label debut "Saturation" in 1993, which signaled a more mainstream reception for the group. The record charted at No. 146 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced the hit rock single "Sister Havana."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johnny 'Blackie Onassis' Rowan dead: Urge Overkill drummer dies