Todd Youth was a guitarist who played in various hardcore punk bands, such as Warzone, Agnostic Front, Danzig, D-Generation and Fireburn. He was known for his raw and energetic style, as well as his contributions to the New York and Los Angeles punk scenes. He died on October 26, 2018, at the age of 47. His cause of death remains unknown, but his fans and friends have been mourning his loss and celebrating his legacy on Reddit and other platforms. In this article, we will explore the life and career of Todd Youth, as well as the reactions and tributes from the punk community.
Early Years and Influences
Todd Youth was born Todd Schofield in New York City in 1971. He grew up in a musical family, as his father was a jazz drummer and his mother was a singer. He started playing guitar at the age of 10, and was influenced by bands like Kiss, Black Sabbath, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. He also discovered punk rock through bands like the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Dead Boys. He joined his first band, Agnostic Front, when he was only 12 years old, and played on their debut EP, United Blood, in 1983. He later played in Warzone, one of the most influential New York hardcore bands, and recorded their first demo tape in 1984. He also played in Murphy’s Law, another seminal NYHC band, and appeared on their albums Back with a Bong and The Best of Times.
Career Highlights and Collaborations
Todd Youth was a versatile and prolific musician, who played in various genres and styles, such as hardcore, metal, rockabilly, ska and reggae. He was also a sought-after session musician and collaborator, who worked with many notable artists and bands. Some of his career highlights and collaborations include:
- Playing guitar for Glenn Danzig, the former singer of Misfits and Samhain, and appearing on his albums Danzig 5: Blackacidevil and Danzig 6:66 Satan’s Child. He also toured with Danzig and performed at the 1999 Woodstock festival.
- Playing guitar for D-Generation, a glam punk band from New York, and appearing on their albums No Lunch, Through the Darkness and Nothing Is Anywhere. He also co-wrote some of their songs, such as Degenerated and No Way Out.
- Playing guitar for Cheap Trick, a rock band from Illinois, and appearing on their album Rockford. He also toured with Cheap Trick and performed at the 2007 Super Bowl pre-game show.
- Playing guitar for Ace Frehley, the former lead guitarist of Kiss, and appearing on his album Anomaly. He also toured with Frehley and performed at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
- Playing guitar for Jesse Malin, a singer-songwriter from New York, and appearing on his albums Glitter in the Gutter, On Your Sleeve and Love It to Life. He also co-wrote some of his songs, such as Broken Radio and Burning the Bowery.
- Playing guitar for Fireburn, a hardcore band from Los Angeles, and appearing on their EPs Don’t Stop the Youth and Shine. He also co-founded the band with former Bad Brains singer Ras Israel Joseph I and former Danzig drummer Joey Castillo.
Death and Legacy
Todd Youth died at his home in Los Angeles on the night of October 26, 2018. He was 47 years old. The cause of death is yet to be determined, but his family and friends have ruled out suicide and foul play. He is survived by his three daughters, Isabella, Ellie and Abija. His death was announced by his Fireburn bandmate Ras Israel Joseph I on his Facebook page, who wrote:
On the passing of my friend, and my Brother Todd Youth
There are no words to express how sad I am at the passing of my brother Todd Youth. The music he made will forever be remembered, and I’m so thankful I was able to work with him and that we created Fireburn together. Todd and I were living separate lives doing hardcore and reggae music. We met each other in 1992 and then never spoke again until 2017. We created Fireburn within two weeks of knowing each other and finished writing two of my favorite hardcore records that I ever worked on: “Don’t stop the youth”, and “Shine”. Closed casket records signed the band and we were on our way. We had great shows and lots of people showed up to them. We toured with #GBH from England, hung out with the guys from #sham69, and got our blessings about our music and our records from the #badbrains. I know that Todd is now resting in peace and I know that Krishna has taken his soul to a better place. He was a devout Hari Krishna and a devout human being. Todd wherever you are I hope that we will make music again one day. Life is a circle and I know I’ll meet you again in that circle brother. We will meet again. Rest In Peace, Rest In Power, rest my brother. I am saddened that we cannot make music again together in this world, but I am happy that you are finally going home to be with Krishna that Haile Selassie has finally giving you peace and comfort my brother. One day, I too will lay down and die. This body that I ware is temporary. I will probably be alone. They’re probably be no one around me. However I know that I will join you and all of our other friends in that good place and we’ll all see each other again. I’m sorry you died Todd. I’m sorry I can’t see you again. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you. You are my friend and my brother and I love you. Rest in peace my brother. May your visit to our Heavenly Home be full of peace, and comfort, and closeness to Krishna. Haribo. Haile Selassie I. FIREBURN.
Todd Youth’s death sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from the punk community, especially on Reddit, where many fans and friends shared their memories and condolences. Some of the posts and comments include:
- A post on r/punk titled “Todd Youth (Murphys Law et al) has died”, which received over 200 upvotes and 50 comments. The post linked to an article from Brooklyn Vegan, which reported on Todd Youth’s death and career. Some of the comments were:
- “Fucking bummed about this. Was at that show where the picture was taken” (by a deleted user)
- “Sad news, I’ve loved pretty much every band he’s been in, fireburn really excited me, was really looking forward to more from them. Love to his friends and family” (by u/EverythingSucks78)
- “Holy fuck, first jimmy G got sick and now this…” (by u/Lerch737)
- A post on r/punk titled “What’s the most tragic punk band/artist in your opinion.”, which received over 100 upvotes and 200 comments. The post asked for examples of punk bands or artists who had tragic stories or deaths. One of the comments was:
- “Most of Exploding Hearts died in a van crash” (by u/palbuddymac), which linked to a website about a documentary on the Exploding Hearts, a power pop band from Portland, who died in a car accident in 2003.
- A post on r/hardcore titled “RIP Todd Youth”, which received over 100 upvotes and 20 comments. The post linked to a video of Fireburn performing at the 2018 Punk Rock Bowling festival in Las Vegas. Some of the comments were:
- “Damn, RIP. Dude was in so many great bands.” (by u/ChainsawSurgery)
- “Fuck. RIP. Fireburn was so good.” (by u/whiskeyandwolves)
- “RIP. Dude was a legend.” (by u/throwawayhardcore)
Todd Youth’s legacy lives on through his music and his influence on the punk scene. He was a talented and passionate guitarist, who played with some of the most iconic bands and artists in the genre. He was also a devoted father, friend and follower of Krishna. He will be missed by many, but his spirit will never die. As his Fireburn bandmate Todd Jones wrote on his Instagram:
I just woke up to the news that my friend Todd Youth passed away. This is a huge shock to me. I can’t even process it right now. I just saw him a couple weeks ago and we had such a profound conversation. I’m so sad for his family right now. I’m sad for his children. I’m sad for all of us. He was a great human being. He was a great musician. He was a great friend. He was a great father. He was a great person. He was a great soul. He was a great everything. I love you Todd. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Rest In Peace my brother. I’ll see you again someday. I know you’re in a better place. I know you’re with Krishna. I know you’re happy. I know you’re free. I love you Todd. I love you. I love you. I love you.
