It's hard to believe it's been nine long years since my all-time hero, the one and only Mr Johnny Thunders died in mysterious circumstances in New Orleans in 1991. Without his inspiration, my life would never have been the same. It all began in my early teens, when as a card carrying punk rocker I first purchased the seminal Chinese Rocks/Born to Lose 12" single and my love affair from afar with the legend began. I was initially captivated by the sheer chainsaw double-edged melancholic power of the record and the sonic landscape it produced. My next purchase at the same time was a 'New Wave' sampler LP featuring the New York Dolls (songs included: Personality Crisis and Where are the Mystery Girls) which also captured me, but never in quite the same way as Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers did. Next, L.A.M.F. was purchased and Thunders and Jerry Nolan instilled a desire and provided an impetus to one day perform something equally as compelling,a story echoed by many people who saw Johnny Live - Inspiration embodied.

The seminal synopsis of Raw Heartbreak Rock and Roll was achieved by Mr Thunders in 1978 with the release of So Alone, his first solo album which transcended all expectations, featuring as it does such legendary tracks as Memory, Untouchable, Great Big Kiss etc. After a fallow period in the early 80's, a complete resurrection occurred in 1983. I Went to the Lyceum Ballroom in The Strand in London to see Mr Johnny Thunders perform a devastating set, with the most warm and powerful bittersweet set of songs one could hope for. The Road to Damascus was nowhere..this was it! From that moment I was hooked - Drapes, PVC, Leather, Crushed Velvet, Skull and Crossbones Bootlace Ties, Johnson's in London, Keith Richard's haircuts etc were now the order, and the future was set.

The addiction was complete now and I spent the last months of the year hunting around for every Thunders record I could lay my hands on. Things went up a gear when, in March 1984 Thunders reformed the Heartbreakers and performed a truly phenomenal set at the Lyceum, which thankfully has been captured on Video and Record. In August of that year I then witnessed probably the finest Thunders gig I have ever seen, at the old Marquee in Wardour Street, London. It was dripping with sweat, but the raw energy and sheer emotiveness of the performance (especially during Sad Vacation) was overwhelming. I remember floating home in dripping leathers and with running mascara, knowing that I had witnessed something truly special. Away from the mythology , it's important to remember just how great Johnny could be when he was on form, and this was one such night..

In October 1984 Hanoi Rocks played The Lyceum, and Thunders jammed with them on the encore, creating a unique event, with two of the best Rock and Roll guitarists EVER on stage together - Andy McCoy and Johnny Thunders, playing around with Pills and Gloria. Heaven!, there's no other word for it. Similarly, soon after I saw Thunders performing at the Tufnell Park Ballroom, and he was joined by Mike Monroe for another excellent jam.

Whenever Mr Thunders was in London, I'd be there: The Clarendon Ballroom in 1985, Dingwalls in 1986, Town and Country club in 1987 and the Marquee numerous times. (The last time he ever played London, and the last Thunders gig I ever saw being the December 1990 show at the Marquee). Although his officially recorded output diminished after the mid eighties, with the Que Sera Sera and Copy Cats album, there were (and still are) an overwhelming amount of bootlegs trying to fill the gap. Towards the end of his life, with his last band, the Odd Balls, Thunders premiered several new compositions such as 'Society Makes Me Sad' and 'Children are people too', whose recorded potential was never realised, although several CDs containing demo versions of these excellent tracks do exist and are worth tracking down.

We will never see the likes of Johnny Thunders again, so thanks Johnny for all those cherished memories, and around four in the morning, smoking the last cigarette and drinking the last jd and coke, it's forever going to be the perfect moment to Stick on 'So Alone' and let Pipeline rip...

With love and Respect

Steve Pegrum

January 2000