Ken Chinn, longtime frontman of the hugely important Canadian punk band SNFU, has died. As Kerrang! reports, Chinn’s bandmate Dave Bacon confirmed Chinn’s death on Facebook yesterday. No cause of death has been reported, though Chinn suffered from addiction and health problems in recent years. Chinn, who performed under the stage name Mr. Chi Pig, was 57.

Chinn was born in Edmonton. His parents were German and Chinese, and he was the youngest of 12 children. In 1981, when he was 19, Chinn and the brothers Marc and Bent Belke formed a punk band called Live Sex Shows. That group didn’t last long, but all three formed Society’s No Fucking Use shortly thereafter. That band later shortened its name to SNFU.

After touring with the California band Youth Brigade, SNFU released their debut album …And No One Else Wanted to Play in 1985 on Youth Brigade’s BYO label. A year later, they followed it up with the underground classic If You Swear, You’ll Catch No Fish. SNFU’s sound was fast skate-punk — usually melodic but sometimes chaotic. Their music always radiated purpose even when the band seemed to be joking. As a frontman, Chinn, who suffered from schitzophrenia, was always wild and theatrical, using props and costumes to make SNFU’s sets memorable. They toured hard, and especially among Canadian punks, became a massive underground inspiration.

SNFU broke up and reunited a few times, and they eventually moved to Vancouver. In the ’90s, SNFU were part of the Epitaph roster when that label was at the peak of its powers, and they toured with huge bands like Green Day and Bad Religion. During that run, Chinn was openly gay, a relative rarity in ’90s punk and underground rock.

SNFU had a constatly-shifting lineup, but after another temporary breakup, they continued to tour and record for years after that moment in the spotlight. They released their last album, Never Trouble Trouble Until Trouble Troubles You, in 2013. During those later years, Chinn battled addiction and, for a little while, was homeless. In 2010, Chinn was the subject of the documentary Open Your Mouth And Say… Mr. Chi Pig. Below, check out some of SNFU’s work.