Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis found dead in apparent homicide
Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis was found dead over the weekend after being allegedly murdered by his own son.
As reported by the Toronto Star, a body was discovered at the 65-year-old musician’s apartment in Hamilton, Ontario in Canada last Sunday (August 7).
During a news conference yesterday (August 8), Hamilton Detective Sara Beck said police had received information in relation to a deceased person. Officers then “located a deceased male in his 60s” upon visiting Lewis’ home.
The victim was said to have sustained “injuries consistent with foul play”.
Gord’s 41-year-old son, Jonathan Lewis, was later arrested and has been charged with second-degree murder. Beck said that police were not looking for any additional suspects.
Further testing is required to officially identify the body, although police believe they know the identity of the deceased.
“We are continuing to seek out witnesses and reviewing video in the area,” Beck said, before appealing to those with any information to come forward.
Teenage Head confirmed Gord’s death in a post on Instagram yesterday. “We are heartbroken and still trying to process the loss of our friend, bandmate and brother Gord Lewis,” they wrote.
“Our hearts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. Gord was a force and an inspiration to many. You were taken from us far too soon.”
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Gord Lewis co-founded Teenage Head back in 1975 alongside drummer Frankie Venom and singer Dave Desroches. The punk band broke through in 1980 with their second studio album ‘Frantic City’, which included the hits ‘Let’s Shake’ and ‘Somethin’ On My Mind’.
Following that record’s release, the group scheduled a series of showcase concerts in New York City. However, the gigs were cancelled after Lewis was seriously injured in a car accident.
He was temporarily replaced in the line-up by David Bendeth, but returned to the fold in 1982. Teenage Head continued performing live over the decades in smaller venues. Frankie Venom passed away in 2008.
In 2020, Douglas Arrowsmith directed a documentary on the group called Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head.