By David P. Ball
More than 15,000 people have now signed a petition to have downtown east side punk rocker Mr. Chi Pig, frontman of the band SNFU, added to Canada's Walk of Fame.
The support has poured in since the legendary musician, also known as Ken Chinn, died on July 16 in Vancouver, age 57. Tributes have emerged from the Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong — who called him "one of the greatest front people I’ve ever seen" — and even former Premier Rachel Notley of Alberta, Chinn's original home province.
The Pulse is remembering Mr. Chi Pig, who spent decades in the neighbourhood and continued writing music until his final days.
Many members of the city's music and arts community honoured his legacy following his death. The Pulse talked to veteran punk rocker D.O.A.'s Joe Keithley, as well as activist Garth Mullins with the band Legally Blind.
Born Ken Chinn, the punk rocker started SNFU in Edmonton in the 1980s before moving to Vancouver where he lived the rest of his days. A decade ago, he was the subject of a documentary film, Open Your Mouth and Say Mr. Chi Pig, in which Chinn and his community explored his art, punk history and his long-time struggles with a crystal meth addiction and mental illness.