Founding guitarist of punk band Teenage Head murdered, son charged

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Gord Lewis, the lead guitarist of Canadian punk band Teenage Head, has been found murdered in his Hamilton apartment, the Toronto Sun has confirmed.

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The musician’s son, Jonathan Lewis, 41, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Hamilton Police reported Sunday that a man in his 60s was found dead in a residence at Brockton Apartments, at 175 Catharine St. S. with “injuries consistent with foul play, and the case was deemed a homicide.”

Police said that they were unable to positively identify the body due to the level of decomposition. An autopsy will be performed at a later date.

However, sources confirmed to the Sun Monday that the murder victim was Gord Lewis.

Rob Gronfors, longtime Teenage Head road manager, told the Sun: “I have lost my brother in a senseless and tragic way. We all have lost a great, great man and a musical genius of our time. Please remember him, always, on stage doing what he loved. God please, rest his soul.”

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Teenage Head’s most recent lineup consisted of Lewis and bassist Steve Mahon, along with newer recruits Gene Champagne (The Killjoys) on drums and singer Dave “Rave” Desroches.

Original frontman singer Frankie “Venom” Kerr died of throat cancer in 2008 at the age of 51.

Kerr’s sister told the Sun she has been “deeply affected by Lewis’s death.

“Growing up in the ’70s, when rock ‘n’ roll was ever-changing, along came these four skinny kids from Westdale High. They had so many dreams of being rock stars, I’m convinced to get the prettiest girls, and within a few years they made it!” Christina Crayford said in a statement. “It wasn’t overnight, they slugged it out playing every venue and not for the money, but for the fun and the excitement.

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“Many highs and lows would transpire, accidents, lost record deals, bad management, riots, bad press. But they kept going, brothers in arms, ’til one brother, mine, put his mic down forever and left this world. At the time it was the worst thing that had happened, but we healed and held onto to his memory and his music. And now the senseless, horrible and sad news.”

She added: “With our hearts saddened and confused and angry, we will always remember you, Gord. May you fly high and find your peace from the pain.”

The band — formed in 1975 — were all students at Hamilton’s Westdale High School. Teenage Head was still performing with a show scheduled on Sept. 10 at Kerrfest in, Oakville.

The group had gotten more attention in recent years following the release of Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head, a 2020 documentary that aired on TV after director Doug Arrowsmith filmed the band in 2018-19.

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During an interview with the Sun, Arrowsmith said beside the music, he was interested in “the strong present day story” of the crippling depression suffered by Lewis, who at one point in the documentary ends up in a mood disorder unit after “turning blue” in a bar due to conflicting medications.

Mahon told the Sun that since filming, Lewis was living on his own, taking the right medication and going to therapy weekly.

Teenage Head was notorious after the band caused riots at The Last Pogo show which was held at the Horseshoe in 1978 and at a performance at Ontario Place in 1980 when an overcapacity crowd showed up.

Lewis is Hamilton’s third homicide victim of 2022.

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