Update: Chuck Biscuits is Alive!

It's a good day for the music world, but a bad day for journalism. Evidently, rumors of legendary hardcore drummer Chuck Biscuit's death have been greatly exaggerated.

Yesterday we reported that the drummer, who had played for D.O.A., Danzig, the Circle Jerks and Black Flag, among others, had passed away on Saturday after losing a battle with throat cancer. This is apparently not true, as Vancouver's The Straight contacted Joey Keithley, singer-guitarist of D.O.A. who confirmed that Biscuits is very much alive.

Chuck's "death" was reported by blogger James Greene Jr., who wrote that he had spent the past six months chatting via e-mail with Biscuits and his wife, and posted the first report on his site. After Greene first posted the story, many other news outlets (us included) ran with it.

I first heard the story from NPR, who I took to be a credible source. I think that's the nature of these things; it only takes on seriously credible source to report on something like this, and then another outlet to take them at their word, and it snowballs from there.

Greene posted in his retraction piece, (located here):

When I received the e-mail about Chuck's passing, it hit me in the gut. I was reeling. I decided to write a succinct but heartfelt blog announcing the news Tuesday and that would be the end of it. The news would get around and the world could mourn the loss of the best hard rock drummer of the 1980s. That this could all be some insane prank was the furthest thing from my mind.

It's a tough call as to who was the bigger victim in this story, Biscuits, who has to tell everyone that he's still alive, or Greene, who has invested time and energy in correspondence with a Chuck Biscuits imposter, and has taken a hit right in his credibility. He spent several moths thinking he was conversing with a musical hero of his, and he has dealt with the weight of hearing of his death, and then the sheer shattering of confidence to know that he's been the victim of an elaborate, six-month long ruse.

And therein lies the true sickness in this story. It's not an amazing musician with cancer; it's a guy who pretends to be a legendary musician with cancer, who gets off on pulling a prank that upset so many music fans. As Greene stated regarding his interaction with the hoaxster, "Who would pretend to be a dying hard rock drummer for a half a year?" Someone with serious problems. That's the unfortunate answer.

So, as is the case with hoaxes, we, among many others, got taken. It's unfortunate, and I regret posting this incorrect story, but in this case, I have to say that I am very happy it wasn't true.

Good to know you're still around, Chuck!