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Todd Sampson, Veteran Las Vegas Punk Singer, Dead at 46

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Influential Las Vegas punk rocker Todd Sampson, who played in the underground bands M.I.A. (no relation to the singer/rapper), Self Abuse and Samsons Army, died early Sunday morning after a performance at the city's Black Door venue. While the cause of death is unknown, the Las Vegas Weekly reports that the 46-year-old had to be helped offstage at the end of an M.I.A. show.

"He just started going down during the show," friend and local musician Rob Ruckus told the paper. "Backstage afterwards, he was totally burning up, kinda going out of it. We tried putting ice on his head, cooling him down with water ... We loaded him into the truck and got his breathing slowed down; he actually walked into his house on his own. But he started heating up again, and then he started hyperventilating, so we raced him to the hospital as fast as we could, but he stopped breathing on the way. When we got to the hospital there was no heartbeat."

Sampson got started fronting M.I.A. when he was just 16 years old, but when the rest of the band left Vegas for Newport Beach, Calif., his parents insisted he stay behind to finish high school. M.I.A. continued on with bassist Mike Conley taking over vocals as Sampson formed Self Abuse, mixing covers of songs by the Adolescents, Circle Jerks and Black Flag with originals like 'I'm Not the One' and 'A Classroom Horror.' In its original run, Self Abuse only lasted until the mid-'80s, although the group reunited in 2001 and again last year for performances.

Todd next turned his attention to Samsons Army, which he steered from 1984 until the early '90s. Like Self Abuse, it also reformed for occasional shows during the past decade. When Conley died in 2008, Sampson resumed his post, again fronting M.I.A.

Sampson leaves behind a son named Daz and a girlfriend.

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astrid

its easy to be a monday morning quarterback and judge his friends actions, but i can tell you with absolute certainty that todds friend did what they thought was best at the time, that the LAST thing any of them wanted was for their friend to die in their arms, maybe 911 would have been a better option but we'll never know. Todd was a wonderful caring person who touched a lot of lives, he wasnt a "rapper" (idiot), he wasnt a satanist, he loved life, he loved his family, he loved his friends and he loved music, probably the only thing he hated was judgmental assholes. Love and miss you Todd xoxo

August 03 2010 at 11:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to astrid's comment
Lynn

Thank you Astrid!! Bella, Todd's daughter, is reading all these comments with me and thinking how stupid people can be. We love and miss Todd, too.

August 07 2010 at 2:21 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
oh oh

WHAT IS GOING ON???THIS FELLA WAS A MUSICINA AND HE ENJOYED WHATHE DID,,PROBBLY SOME BAD MIX AND HE DIES,,,THATS THE RISK A LOT OF FOLKS TAKE BE YOUN OR OLD... THIS HAPPPENS IN MY AREA AS IN YOURS....

KNOW WHERE IS GOD FOR ALL THE YOUNG ONES THAT HAVE DIED IN WARS OR ACCIDENTS ETC ETC,,,RIGHT NOW KID DYE BY THE MILLIONS FROM HUNGER AND HWERE IS YOUR SO CALLED GODS,,,COMON PEOPLE SAVE YOUR OPINIONS AND STOPP TRYIN TO SACERE US WITH YOUR BULL,,,WE ARE FOURTUNATE TO LIVE IN A FREE PART OF THE WORLD...SO GO TO HELL IF THATS WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN,,,I JUST WANT TO ENJOY MY STAY AND HAVE FUN AND HELP SOMEONE IF I CAN I THIS WORLD,,,O AND IF I LOOK LIKE TRASH YOU MAY THINGK IM BAD AND IF I WEAR A TIE I MIHGT BE A HYPOCRITEE,,ETC ETC,,,,WHAY DONT YOU HEAR THE SONG PROUD NARY AND STOPN TROMENTING ME I DONT HEAR OR LISTEN TO YOUR STUPOIND QUOTES OF LOSG PASSED UNCIILIZED AND ARCHIAN AND BEARDED FILTHY PEOPLE WHO DIDNT EVEN HAVE SOAP OF SEWAGE SYSTEMS,,,GET IY///COOL WITH ME...

KEEP PN ROCKING I THE FREE WORLD LOL

July 28 2010 at 4:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ogmiz

46 is rather young for this. As a sufferer of hyper-thyroidism I've had similar symptoms (of course Sampson's demise could be anything at this point). As for C. Hood's comment: Lita summed it up best in her comment. As a 52 yr old Christian (veteran you might say of the "Christian factions warfare") I've seen this "if you live for Satan" junk from all sides directed at all sides. Mr Hood: EVERYONE perishes, the Bible is clear on that. God makes the sun to shine on good and evil alike. Unless Hood knows God's judgement on Sampson (are you God Mr. Hood?) we are not to judge, (and it is in judging that by which measure we judged we are also judged).

July 28 2010 at 3:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
shotgundrummer1

Why?....Because you say so.Sorry,but your OPINION is not necessarily FACT.

July 28 2010 at 3:08 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joe Black

Give 'em Hell StillRockinRobin! It's amazing how intolerant of others these so-called "Christians" are! Hey Bond Servant what about CHRISTIAN PUNK bands like the Altar Boys, the Crucified, JPUSA??? You need to get your head out of your rear and realize punk is NOT always anti-Christian as you've stated! Punk is about believing in and standing-up for yourself, not unlike what Jesus did standing up to the Romans eh??? Jesus was punk rock in that way-AMEN!

July 28 2010 at 2:38 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gary

About the religious comments....About the "being saved"..What happens to a little baby born, (and we are all born with sin), that dies and didnt even know what forgivness or being saved is?....Or people around the world that dont even know anything about a man called jesus?....These people were born just like you and me, and are supposebly his children, just like you and me. So tell me how these people had a chance to be saved?..But since this wasnt an article to preach the gospel...I wont....I believe in the book, and it sure doesnt hurt to try to live by its messages...It sure cant hurt to try....Tough at times....But try...The article was about someones death though..And know one knows what lies hereafter, or exactly what there might be, if anything....NO ONE....May he rip...

July 28 2010 at 2:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ronnie goss

God bless his family in this time of sorrow, and may he rest in peace.

July 28 2010 at 1:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ronnie goss

Rest in peace,

July 28 2010 at 1:35 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tommy j

If we are all gods creatures , why do religious people wish evil on others who do not share their beliefs.Todd gave young people something to have interest in .Something to help learn diversity.I guess you are so narrow minded "you fear what you dont understand".Todd you will be missed by all of us who still believe in freedom. P.S. one should be able to enjoy any music from DISCHARGE TO CRASS,or EMINEM TO TECH 9 , (are you ready for this grouping) VENOM to SLAYER _ _ _ _ _ N SLAYER ! Let the hate E mail begin !

July 28 2010 at 1:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mike murphy

i never heard of him before today. these rappers live life to the edge. either they're getting killed by drive bys or they got enough drugs in their system to kill an elephant. they have no regard for the people who buy this crap. someone said live by the sword die by the sword. this has been true even as far back as elvis or even judy garland. i would have said marilyn monroe but the jury is still out.

July 28 2010 at 12:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply