Erick Lee Purkhiser, known as Lux Interior, was the founder and singer of American punk band The Cramps. The group, which was formed in 1976 and active until 2009, was only ever made up of Inside and his wife, Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace), with the rest of the group changing over time.
Lux Interior grew up listening to and being inspired by rockabilly music and, when the Cramps found success, Poison Ivy often referred to their style of music as “ Psychobilly ” even though Interior repeatedly turned down the label. . Their music, lyrics, melody and the like, were definitely offbeat, if not nothing else.
Speaking of quirky, The Cramps put on a one-of-a-kind concert for patients at the Nappa Valley State Mental Institution. Some of their notable albums included their first official EP, The most serious successes (1979), their studio album, Stay sick! (1990), and a compilation album, How to make a monster (2004). While their music spoke often, Lux Interior was famous for its sexually suggestive movements on stage. He often appeared in near-nude clothes and was infamous for his provocative and frenzied stage presence as The Cramps caused a stir in the music industry.
While continued criticism and cult following have solidified their presence in the annals of rock music history, a lesser-known fact about Lux Interior lingers as a bizarre and unfathomable smell. The fact? Well, is that he has already done a voiceover for the character of the lead singer of The Bird Brains in the American animated television show Sponge Bob SquarePants. The Bird Brains were a group of puppets who were hired by Potty the Parrot, in the 51st episode of the show’s third season, “Party Pooper Pants,” which aired on May 17, 2002 in the United States.
The Bird Brains was performed by The Cramps, the lead singer resembling his voice actor, Lux Interior. The Bird Brains performed at Patchy the Pirate’s party and was shown during the Patchy-centric segments of the episode. The fictional band was a punk rock band, and they performed the song “Underwater Sun” in the episode. Not to go into detail, but they were Potty the Parrot’s favorite band, and everyone loved them, but Patchy hated them because their music was too loud and it took him out of his house. “Underwater Sun” premiered towards the end of the episode. The song was written and composed by Stephen Hillenburg and Peter Strauss. It was performed by Lux Interior himself.
When Interior died in 2009 from an aortic dissection, Tom Kenny, who voiced the character of SpongeBob SquarePants, attended his memorial service at the Windmill Chapel of the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Sanctuary, as his impact went very far.
Listen to “Underwater Sun” below.