Brian "Damage" Keats, the former drummer for such legendary American punk bands as Verbal Abuse, Misfits and Genocide, has passed away after a battle with cancer.

He was fourty six years old and is survived by his wife and child. Keats was born in Brooklyn, New York and performed in the last incantation of Misfits to feature frontman Glen Danzig.  

After The Misfits, Brian remained in New York City and went on to play drums for Hellbent, The Kretins, The Hellhounds, The Skulls, Angels In Vain, Princess Pang, Raging Slab, and The Diamondbacks. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he still lives, and played or recorded with Wink, Pressurehed, Baron Jive, Sylvain Sylvain, The Light Bachwood Movement, Link Protrudi And The Jaymen, Paul Inman, Marioux, Low Pop Suicide, 3 Day Wheely, Bortek, Susanna Hoffs, Doppler, The Fuzztones, and Tramdriver. He has also done live performances with Kathy Fisher (with Drew Ross), Sages & Seers (with two Fuzztones members), African Violet (with Rita D'Albert), Tim Harrington, $100 Band (with Drew Ross and Gary Eaton), Jason Falkner, Woozy, and Dave Vanian And The Phantom Chords and recorded sessions demos with Zoe Poledouris And Bubble Gun (with Teddy Thompson), Bijou Phillips, Swirl 360 (with Roger Manning), Tallulah, Marie Wilson, Michael Hately, Kim Richey, Billy Idol, Tom Anderson, Leah Andreone, and Colon