Rock History - Alan Vega (born Boruch Alan Bermowitz on June 23, 1938 - Died: July 16, 2016)
Alan Vega (born Boruch Alan Bermowitz on June 23, 1938) was an American vocalist, primarily known for his work with the electronic protopunk duo Suicide. He is also an established sculptor.Alan Bermowitz was raised in a Jewish household in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.In the late 1950s, he attended Brooklyn College where he studied both physics and fine art under Ad Reinhardt and Kurt Seligmann and graduated in 1960. In the 1960s, he became involved with the Art Workers' Coalition, a radical artists group that harassed museums and once barricaded the Museum of Modern Art. The Stooges perform at the New York State Pavilion in August 1969 was an epiphany for Vega. In 1970, he met and befriended Martin Reverby. Together, the two began experimenting with music and formed the band Suicide along with guitarist Paul Liebgott. The group played twice at MUSEUM before moving on to the OK Harris Gallery. Calling himself "Nasty Cut", he used the terms "Punk Music" and "Punk Music Mass" in flyers to describe their music, which he adopted from an article by Lester Bangs. In 1971 the group dropped Paul Liebgott and added Mari Reverby on drums, though she didn't play in their live performances. With Bermowitz finally settling on Alan Suicide as a working name, they began to play music venues. Suicide went on to perform at the Mercer Arts Center, Max's Kansas City, CBGB and ultimately, achieve international fame.
Alan Vega
Born: June 23, 1938 (age 77), Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Music groups: Suicide (Since 1970), The Sisterhood