Teenage Head drummer off ventilator, in stable condition
Teenage Head drummer Gene Champagne has been taken off a hospital ventilator, is in stable condition and begun a very long recovery" from COVID-19, his wife Julie Champagne says.
Champagne, a 52-year-old resident of Stoney Creek, was admitted to Joseph Brant Hospital on March 22, suffering from pneumonia caused by COVID-19. Five days later he was placed on a ventilator in the hospital's intensive care unit. On Monday, his wife posted on her Facebook page that Champagne could now breathe without the help of a ventilator.
I could not be happier to tell everyone Gene came off the ventilator this morning," Julie said. He has a very long recovery ahead but he is strong and so far responding very well to everything the doctors are doing for him. We will have a lot of challenges ahead but I consider us both to be extremely lucky in this, because after some time, I can bring him home."
Champagne has been a popular part of the Hamilton music scene for more than 25 years, first with the Juno-winning power-pop trio The Killjoys and more recently with pioneering Hamilton punk band Teenage Head.
The news of Champagne's hospitalization prompted an outpouring of support by hundreds of friends, fans and fellow musicians on social media.
I need to personally thank every single person who sent messages, texts, emails, and called to ask after Gene and to offer their support, prayers, positive energy and unbelievable kindness," Julie said. I felt it from all of you and I think he did too. I will not forget it, your words and food and care packages ... kept me going. I already knew what an incredible, amazing talented man my husband is, it's just really lovely to see so many others know it too."
Champagne was one of three founding members of the The Killjoys, along with singer/guitarist Mike Trebilcock and bassist Shelley Woods. The band won a Juno Award in 1997 for best new group and released five albums between 1994 and 2006, gaining radio play with singles such as, Today I Hate Everyone," Rave and Drool" and Soaked."
In 2016, Champagne joined a revitalized Teenage Head, replacing longtime drummer Jack Pedler, who was forced to leave the band due to illness.
Teenage Head was one of the leading bands in the Canadian punk scene of the late '70s and early '80s with three gold record albums - Teenage Head," Frantic City" and Some Kinda Fun." The band was given new life in 2017 when Warner Canada released the double compilation album, Fun Comes Fast," with Hamilton's Dave Rave taking the lead vocals. Frank Venom" Kerr, the band's original lead singer, died of throat cancer in 2008.
Champagne also played guitar, sang and wrote songs for his own band, The Unteens, as well as performing as the drummer for the band Tongue Fu, with Lou Molinaro on lead vocals.