Fans of the legendary band The Misfits are in mourning today after it was reported that the group’s former drummer Joey Image had passed away on Monday. He was 63 years-old.
Image’s death was confirmed on the band’s official Twitter account, where a photo of him was shared in tribute.
“RIP Joey Image, March 5, 1957 – June 1, 2020. Misfits drummer 78 – 79,” the post read. “Appears on the Misfits classic ‘Horror Business’ & ‘Night of the Living Dead’ 7-inches. Seen here on drums with the Misfits live at Irving Plaza Halloween night 1979 in NYC. #themisfits #ripjoeyimage.”
RIP Joey Image, March 5, 1957 – June 1, 2020. Misfits drummer 78 – 79. Appears on the Misfits classic “Horror Business” & “Night of the Living Dead” 7-inches. Seen here on drums with the Misfits live at Irving Plaza Halloween night 1979 in NYC. #themisfits #ripjoeyimage pic.twitter.com/vePIqANzsZ
— The Misfits (@themisfits) June 2, 2020
Though no official cause of death had been reported, it was previously known that Image, whose real name was Joey Poole, was diagnosed with liver cancer back in 2016. A GoFundMe page that appears to have been organized by Image the next year was seeking $25,000 for to fund his cancer treatment at the University of Miami.
Fox News reported that Image was only 21 years-old when he joined The Misfits, playing alongside frontman Glenn Danzig, guitarist Bobby Steele and bass drummer Jerry Only. He would go on to appear on the band’s singles “Horror Business” and “Night of the Living Dead,” before leaving the group at the conclusion of their 1979 England tour with The Damned.
Despite leaving The Misfits, Image continued to have a successful career in music, playing with the groups Human Buffet, The Undead, The Strap-Ons, as well as The Bell Ringers. In 2017, during an interview in which he spoke about his ongoing cancer treatment, Image opened up about why he chose to leave The Misfits when he did.
“Jerry [Only] and Glenn [Danzig], they really didn’t care about anybody else but themselves. I couldn’t take it,” he said at the time. “I got a round-trip ticket and I went back to New York.”
Image added the time that he was hoping to recover from cancer so that he could continue pursuing his passion for music.
“I don’t do it for money; I don’t do it for anything,” he explained. “It just takes me to another place. It’s good for my soul.”
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