Blackie Onassis, drummer for the alt-rock act Urge Overkill during their ’90s heyday, has died. A spokesperson for the band reported his passing to the Los Angeles Times, but no cause of death was given.
Onassis (real name John Rowan) joined Urge Overkill in 1991, playing alongside founding members Nash Kato and Eddie “King” Roeser. He appeared on their albums The Supersonic Storybook (1991), Saturation (1993), and Exit the Dragon (1995).
While the Chicago-based band impacted alternative-rock radio with such songs as “Sister Havana” and “Positive Bleeding,” they are perhaps best known for their cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” which famously appeared in the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction. They also got major exposure when they opened for Nirvana on the latter’s tour in support of Nevermind.
In an interview with Spin magazine in 1992, Onassis said of the band, “We are here to resurrect the era of the swinger — the late ’60s, the playboy life when America was a fun place. The golden era of Vegas, Neil Diamond, moonlight dancing, and Anton La Vey!”
Onassis played with Urge Overkill up until their breakup in 1997. When the band re-formed in 2004, Onassis was not part of the lineup. Urge Overkill remain active to this day, featuring a lineup of Kato, Roeser, Adam Arling, and drummer Nate Arling.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Onassis battled heroin addiction, and was even arrested for drug possession following the release of Exit the Dragon. He co-wrote several songs on Kato’s 2000 solo album Debutante, but pretty much disappeared from the public eye for the past two decades.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (June 14th), the band stated, “Urge Overkill is saddened to report that Blackie has passed away. 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.”
Our condolences go out to Blackie Onassis’ family, friends, and bandmates during this difficult time. Hear his drumming on “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” and “Sister Havana” in the videos below.