The loss of GWAR frontman and mastermind Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus) sent the metal world into mourning on March 24. Countless tributes have been paid by some of rock and metal's finest musicians along with fans from around the world. In memory of the late frontman, the surviving members of GWAR memorialized their friend and announced the launch of the Dave Brockie Foundation.

Brockie was found dead in his home on March 23. As of this posting, no cause of death has been revealed, but the investigation of Brockie's death is being handled as drug-related due to evidence found at the scene.

In a video message from surviving GWAR members and the Slave Pit family, the group shared an outpouring of emotion for Dave Brockie. "On Sunday, March 23, 2014, the worlds of music, drama, art and literature suffered a great loss," begins bassist Jamison 'Beefcake the Mighty' Land. "David Brockie was found in our shared home, he had apparently passed away peacefully in his sleep."

Brent 'Pustulus Maximus' Purgason adds, "Over the past few weeks, the outpouring of love from you, our fans, has been overwhelming. To know that our loss is shared so deeply with so many has made this tragedy a bit more bearable.

On August 15, a free memorial service will be held for Brockie, and all fans are welcome to attend. The next day, the fifth annual GWAR-B-Q will go on as scheduled, just as Brockie would have wanted.

The Dave Brockie Foundation has also been announced:

The Dave Brockie Foundation is a charity fund with the mission of promoting the advancement of music, images, letters and performances in the arts. It will endeavor to encourage promising talents, as well as preserving the legacy of Dave's body of works. It intends to be a support system to those who have dedicated their lives in pursuit of creativity. The Dave Brockie Foundation will be a resource for artists in the fields of music, film, literature and all visual arts who cannot find funding through mainstream channels. The Dave Brockie Foundation will also strive to catalog and preserve Dave's vast collection of original images, recordings and written words, and make them available for the world to appreciate. The foundation's first goal is to finance the creation of a memorial monument in Richmond, Virginia to provide the world with a place to pay respects to the memory of a very cherished man.

To make a donation to the Dave Brockie Foundation, click here.

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