Lorna Doom (born Teresa Ryan), bassist for the Los Angeles punk rock band Germs, passed away on January 16 at age 61. Germs formed in 1976 and were known for their high-speed hardcore punk sound, a sound that would influence the LA punk rock scene along with many of those taking shape across the country at the time.
Other members of the band included singer Darby Crash, drummer Don Bolles, and guitarist Pat Smear. Smear would later join Nirvana for their performance on MTV Unplugged in New York and as second guitarist on their In Utero tour. Germs only released one album in 1979 titled GI. The album was produced by former Runaways guitarist and solo artist Joan Jett. In 1980 the band appeared in the documentary film about the Los Angeles punk scene titled The Decline of Western Civilization. That same year the group disbanded, which coincided with the suicide of their singer Darby Crash.
Germs reformed after the release of the 2007 biopic What We Do Is Secret. Shane West, who played Darby Crash in the film, became the front man for the reformed Germs. When Doom was asked by The Guardian in 2007 what she did between the passing of Crash and the 2007 biopic she responded, “I moved to New York and was married. I guess I was waiting for Shane to be born and to grow up and resume the position…this is the craziest thing that has ever happened to me…it’s about as crazy as you can get. It’s a good crazy.”
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