Lux, real name Erick Lee Purkhiser, who formed groundbreaking punk rock group in 1976 with his wife, the guitarist Poison Ivy Rorschach (Kristy Wallace), had suffered from a heart condition.

The singer of the cult band, which fused rockabilly, B-movie camp glamour, psychobilly and garage punk to create a wild noise, recorded their debut EP, Gravest Hits, in 1979 and continued recording and touring until 2004.

A statement from a Cramps' spokesperson reads: "Lux has been an inspiration and influence ...