Metal fans are mourning the loss of GWAR founding member Chuck Varga, who passed away after revealing his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
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"Chuck Varga has left this earthly realm," GWAR bass player Casey Orr wrote
on Facebook on Sept. 24. "He passed peacefully, his beloved wife Bambi holding his hand. He was one of a kind. As an artist, as a performer; as a scholar and a gentleman. I'm better for having known him and the world is lesser for his leaving."Orr then summoned some of the spirit of the long-running shock-metal band, giving a hat tip to Varga's onstage character, the Sexicutioner.
"He is most likely being welcomed into Valhalla right now by Brockie and Smooty and all who went before. Raise your glass and tell his tales. Legends never die. Hail Varga! Hail Sexicutioner!"
According to Deadline, the metal legend announced he was battling cancer back in April.
Varga co-founded the prolific Slave Pit Studios in Richmond after attending Virginia Commonwealth University. The space, intended to support projects for Richmond creatives, soon gave birth to GWAR, an over-the-top heavy metal act that was outfitted with costumes complete with Mad Max-esque costumes and armor, and creature-effect masks. The group pushed the envelope in a more quaint era, combining a stew of gross-out humor, sexual topics, and pagan mythology that captured the imagination of a legion of loyal fans.
Chuck Varga Helped Lead GWAR to Mainstream Success
After becoming a Richmond metal favorite, the outfit eventually hit unlikely mainstream appeal, even earning two Grammy nominations in the 1990s. Varga served as a vocalist for the metal group from 1986 to 1996, before moving to NYC to pursue other projects. However, he seemed to have an open invitation to return to GWAR whenever he wanted, joining them for shows in 2000- 2002, 2014- 2017, and 2022.
Meanwhile, fans of the unique metal band took to the comments of Orr's post to grieve the loss of Varga... in the signature GWAR style.
"Sleep well, Sir. The world is a little darker today but the next step is shaping up to be a hell of a ride!" one fan wrote. "Spill some bladders and bowels for the Sexecutioner,' another avid fan added. "The reunion shows in the afterlife keep getting better. RIP," a third GWAR lover wrote.
"This is devastating. Hail Sexicutioner. Hail Gwar," yet another fan penned.
Chuck Varga was 68.
