Punk Pioneer Dead at 63

Pete Shelley, lead singer and guitarist of first-wave British punk band Buzzcocks, died Thursday in Estonia. He was 63. NPR reports that no cause of death was given when the band’s publicist confirmed the news “with great sadness.” But, per the BBC, a heart attack is suspected. Shelley co-founded the band in 1976, influenced by the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, and went on to influence countless other acts by “adding pop sensibilities and space to breathe to a fast-and-hard sound,” as described by NPR. Tim Burgess, singer for the Charlatans, tweeted that Shelley “wrote perfect three minute pop songs. The soundtrack to being a teenager.” In a brief statement on Twitter, Buzzcocks said Shelley “was held in the highest regard by the music industry and by his fans around the world.” (None of the original Ramones are left.)