Former Misfits drummer Joey Image has passed away at the age of 63, which was first reported by The New York Hardcore Chronicles Page on Facebook. While a cause of death has not been specified yet, Blabbermouth reported that the performer was diagnosed with liver cancer four years ago, and was seeking treatment for the condition as recently as 2018 according to a GoFundMe he had set up for medical expenses.
Image had only reached a little over $8,000 from his $25,000 goal, and was reportedly working as a driver, according to the GoFundMe page. The artist’s final update on his fundraiser was dates back in 2018, although it is still accepting donations despite his passing. The page stated that he was a possible candidate for a liver transplant at the University of Miami, however treatments were expected to be expensive.
Image was a member of the influential punk band from 1978 to 1980, and appeared on their 1979 Horror Business EP, the “Night Of The Living Dead” single, and the 1980 Beware EP. He reportedly left the band due to personality conflicts with Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, who reportedly quit in the middle of a UK tour, allegedly leaving the drummer abandoned in a foreign country, while he suffered from a substance abuse problem.
“Jerry and Glenn, they really didn’t care about anybody else but themselves,” he told the Miami New Times. “I couldn’t take it. I got a round-trip ticket and I went back to New York.”
The producer royalties for the Michale Graves-era Misfits records were on sale earlier this year. Check out our review of the final Original Misfits Show in Los Angeles here.