Help for Howie Kusten Pyro!

Our dear, dear friend and musician, artist, writer, DJ, archivist, scene maker and trouble maker, Howie Pyro, has been battling cirrhosis of the liver and he is not one to ask for help though he is badly in need. A few of us have gotten together to create this Go Fund Me to raise money for his day to day expenses, his medical bills and liver transplant. Please feel free to donate whatever you can afford and please share this post wherever you can. It helps more than you know. Howie has been a part of the music community and art subculture in different ways in different scenes for decades and done so much for so many artists over the years, He is family to us. We love you Howie and want to see you back in the saddle in action and raising hell again soon.

Howie Pyro's influence is everywhere. He has devoted his lifetime to music. He has become an omniscient connoisseur and a major collector of truly rare records & pop culture items in general. He started out in the 1970s playing in NY's underage band The Blessed in NY venues such as Max’s Kansas City, CBGB and others. He formed Heavy ‘80s rock band Freaks and then moved on to major label recording and touring band D Generation, and then became a member of the world famous hard rock band Danzig. He has played, recorded, and/or written with Johnny Thunders, Rancid, Genesis P-Orridge, Danzig, Debbie Harry, Kid Congo Powers, Jayne County, Alan Vega and more.

He has devoted 15 years to his widely listened to radio show Intoxica Radio, an infectious two hour show playing what he calls “the weird stuff", blending ‘50s and ‘60s rock n’roll from original 45 rpm records into a manifestation of wild songs, sound bites, interjections, music facts, and live in studio interviews. You can hear Intoxica on Podomatic, SPOTIFY and all those other places you tune into internet shows. It’s also broadcasted live on Tuesday nights on Luxuria Music.com. The show has been simulcast onto WFMU and many, many other listener avenues.

A world renown live DJ, he has been a regular and a guest at various large venues performing for special events as well as touring DJ for rock band Rival Sons. He was the DJ for premiere parties including Madmen (TV Series) and has spun for Christina Aguilera, The Cramps, Cinespia, Pink, Fashion shows for Vivienne Westwood and many more, a regular at GreendoorNYC, the Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute at Hollywood Forever Cemetary, Tiki Oasis, Jonathan Toubin’s yearly Halloween bash in Brooklyn NY and others.

Howie started the Greendoornyc party and infamous NY night club Coney Island High.

He appeared in the Sid Vicious documentaries “Sad Vacation”, “Who Killed Nancy” plus other TV shows the Final 24 and more. Howie appears in the Johnny Thunders documentary "Looking for Johnny" and has been in many other documentaries and films. He has performed with Anohni and the cream of the NY performance and freak superstars in the early ‘90s weekly infamous BLACK LIPS PERFORMANCE CULT.

He wrote for the influential blog Dangerous Minds. He co-wrote the book Confessions of a Rat Fink with Big Daddy Roth and has loaned ephemera to museums, galleries, film exhibitions, books, DVD’s, and more.

Howie has worked on numerous projects with his two favorite entities Norton Records and Something Weird Video.

Let's help Howie get back on his feet. This is a dire situation. Faced with possible death, he is incapable of moving forward without our love, our support and our generosity. If you have anything at all to give, please donate.