Howie Pyro Cause of Death Revealed: D Generation Founding Member Died at 61

One of D Generation's founding members, Howie Pyro, passed away recently, his band confirms.

Composed of Jesse Malin, Howie Pyro, Richard Bacchus, Danny Sage, Michael Wildwow, the American Glam punk band, was formed in the early 1990s after two Heart Attack ex-members, Malin and Sage, decided to create a new one.

D Generation Bassist Howie Pyro Cause of Death: COVID-19

Pyro's close friend and D Generation lead vocalist Jesse Malin confirmed the tragic news in an emotional Instagram photo carousel.

Describing the 61-year-old bassist as his "brother" and "best friend," Malin shared a hefty commemoration of the now-late band member.

"He fought real hard right till the end. He changed my life and so many others in ways I can't even begin to say. We made our world together. From Whitestone, Queens to Madison Square Garden and every crazy, dirty little place in between. I learned so much from him. He made this planet a much better, cooler, weirder, and more beautiful place," he wrote.

According to NME, Pyro died from COVID-19-related pneumonia yesterday after a longstanding battle with liver disease.

In December 2021, the bassist was almost holding for his life in an effort to recover from a liver transplant. Malin held a benefit concert to help Pyro with his medical and living bills after his recovery.

Howie Pyro Music Career

Born Howard Kusten, Howie Pyro started his music career as part of the punk scene in New York City in the 1970s until the 1980s.

He first led the underage band, The Blessed, at the time and performed in various New York City venues such as CBGB and Max's Kansas City.

Around 1991, Pyro co-founded the band along with now-best friend Malin, Danny Sage, Michael Wildwood, and Richard Bacchus.

Three years later, D Generation released their self-titled debut album and signed to Columbia. Two years after, they released their sophomore effort "No Lunch" and "Through The Darkness" in 1999.

D Generation split up shortly after releasing the third album, but they reformed twelve years after in 2011 and released their most recent album "Nothing Is Anywhere" in 2016.

Aside from D Generation and The Blessed, the Jewish-Puerto Rican bassist also collaborated with Danzig, Joey Ramone, Debbie Harry, The Misfits, and Johnny Thunders, among other artists during his illustrious career.

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles will serve as Howie Pyro's eternal new home. His surviving family is also appealing to those who pay tribute to consider donating to the UCLA Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation.

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