Teresa Taylor, circa 1984. Photo: Pat Blashill (via Butthole Surfers Twitter account)
Teresa Taylor, an Arlington native who gained fame as a drummer for freaked-out punk provocateurs Butthole Surfers, died this weekend, per multiple reports. She was 60.
The cause of death was complications from her “long battle with lung disease,” per a tweet from her former bandmates. “She will live in our hearts forever,” wrote the band.
Taylor, whose stage name was Teresa Nervosa, joined the band in 1983 after it moved from San Antonio to Austin. She was a member of the group, which included lead vocalist Gibby Haynes, bassist Bill Jolly and guitarist Paul Leary, alongside another drummer — and North Texas native — King Coffey.
Taylor, who joined Butthole Surfers while a student at the University of Texas, was brought into the fold to “toughen the tribal rhythms underpinning the sonic and visual chaos,” reports the Austin Chronicle,
“The full-on shows would make people puke and scream and run out, that kind of thing. It was what we’d always wanted,” Taylor told SPIN magazine in 1996.
Taylor dipped in and out of the band over the years, leaving in 1989, but returning for an extensive tour in 2008. In between stints with Haynes and company, Taylor also carved out a side gig as an occasional actor in independent films. Best known is Richard Linklater’s groundbreaking 1991 film “Slacker,” which featured Taylor as a fast-talking character trying to pawn off what she claimed was a “Madonna pap smear.”
Information about any survivors was not immediately available. Taylor’s long-time companion, Cheryl Curtice, described Taylor’s passing on Facebook as “peaceful,” Per Far Out magazine,
“She was so brave, even in the face of her horrible disease. We were all so fortunate to have her beautiful, strong spirit in our lives. She will be forever missed. We will have a memorial service sometime in the future. I love you, beloved Teresa.”
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
