Bryan Gregory
| Bryan Gregory | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gregory Beckerleg |
| Born |
February 20, 1951 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | January 10, 2001 (aged 49) Anaheim, California, United States |
| Genres | Psychobilly, garage punk, punk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1976–2001 |
| Associated acts | The Cramps, Beast, The Dials |
Bryan Gregory (Gregory Beckerleg, February 20, 1951 – January 10, 2001) was an American rock musician, and founding member of and guitarist for The Cramps. Bryan has a daughter Tracie Ellis
Gregory took the name Bryan after Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones whom he was a big fan of. He met Cramps member Lux Interior at a mutual job they shared at a record store in NYC. He shared his birthday with fellow member Poison Ivy. Bryan took up second guitar in April 1976 and was a distinctive sight in the early incarnation of the Cramps, along with his sister Pam Balaam (Pam Beckerleg) on drums. He was known for his oozing guitar sound, wild stage antics, and long black and white striped hair. He appeared on The Cramps first two albums Gravest Hits and Songs the Lord Taught Us. He abruptly left the band in 1980, with a van full of most of the band's equipment; no police report or proof was established. He was later replaced by Kid Congo Powers from the Gun Club. A rumor circulated that he had left to pursue an interest in Satanism, but Poison Ivy maintained that it was more likely due to his addiction to heroin.
After the Cramps, Gregory went on to play in Beast from 1980-1983. Bryan collaborated with producer Robyn Hunt an Australian whom he married in Cleveland, Ohio. March 6, 1984, it also included film volunteers to make "Frezzer", an alien horror host, with writer Char Rao, a former Cramps associate who played in the video, it never took off after they moved to Florida. He played a zombie in George Romero's Day of the Dead with fellow zombie fans Mike Metoff (Pagans guitarist and, at the time, temporary guitarist with The Cramps) and Char Rao in Pittsburgh. After moving to Florida he successfully managed an adult book store in Sarasota, Florida where he settled for several years and joined his sister Pam Beckerleg in Osprey, Florida, after his amicable divorce.
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