Pierre Kezdy, former bassist for massively influential Chicago punk bands Naked Raygun and Pegboy, has died. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Kezdy died of cancer early this morning in a Glenview, Illinois hospice. He was 58.

A teenage Kezdy first played in the early Chicago punk band Strike Under, which only released one EP, 1981’s Immediate Action, before breaking up in 1982. That same year, Kezdy joined Naked Raygun, which had formed two years earlier. Kezdy replaced founding bassist Camilo Gonzalez, and he stayed with Naked Raygun until the band broke up in 1992.

Naked Raygun’s sound was melodic but muscular — a triumphantly grimy style that made them unique on the ’80s hardcore landscape. They were massively influential on later Chicago punk bands like Screeching Weasel, the Alkaline Trio, and the Lawrence Arms, all of whom balanced grit with hooks and sensitivity in similar ways. Steve Albini, who played with Naked Raygun members Santiago Durango and Jeff Pezzati, has said that Naked Raygun were his favorite Chicago band, and they were also a big deal for future stars like Dave Grohl and Fall Out Boy. Kezdy’s driving, propulsive playing was key to that, and he also wrote Naked Raygun songs like “Home” and “Vanilla Blue.”

After Naked Raygun broke up, Kezdy joined his former Naked Raygun bandmate John Haggerty in Pegboy, the hugely underrated Chicago pop-punk band. Kezdy replaced founding Pegboy bassist Steve Saylors. Kezdy also played in the bands Arsenal and Trial By Fire, and he kept his day job as a plumber the entire time he was involved in music.

Naked Raygun reunited to play Riot Fest in 2006. After that, the band recorded a series of 7″ singles and continued to play shows, including one opening for the Foo Fighters at Wrigley Field in 2015. In 2011, Kezdy suffered a stroke and had to briefly leave Naked Raygun, though he rejoined them a couple of years later. Last month, Naked Raygun manager Lou Lombardo started a GoFundMe campaign to help Kezdy with his cancer treatments.

Below, check out some examples of Kezdy’s work.