Punk Pioneer TUFF JEFF SALEN Dead Of Heart Attack At 55

January 30, 2008

Tuff Jeff Salen, one of the pioneers of the downtown New York punk music scene of the 1970s, died of a heart attack on Saturday, January 26. As founder and lead guitarist for the band TUFF DARTS, Salen wrote their biggest hit single, "All For The Love of Rock and Roll", which has been covered by an array of artists in an array of genres over the past three decades.

In recent years, Salen and his wife, Diana, had opened two hugely successful boutiques in Manahattan — one on the Upper West Side and one on Madison Avenue. But Jeff never stopped his love and need for the music and continued to play local gigs either sitting in with blues bands or his monthly shows with a reformed TUFF DARTS. He became one of the most sought-after session players in the blues genre and his first album after a 20-year hiatus, 2005's "The Endless Road" for Fountainbleu Entertainment was a critical success and regenerated interest in both TUFF DARTS and Salen. A Japanese label re-released TUFF DARTS records in 2007 and Fountainbleu released a more pop-oriented album by Jeff's new band, TUFF JEFF SALEN & THE SILENCERS, called "Love & Trouble".

Salen is survived by his wife Diana and their daughter Sofia. They have released the following statement: "We will miss him for his great heart and his tremendous talent. We love him very much."

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