Jack Terricloth, Singer of The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Dead at 50
Jack Terricloth, the lead singer and bandleader of New York cabaret-punk outfit The World/Inferno Friendship Society, has died at the age of 50, a statement from the band revealed on Thursday (May 13).
No cause of death has been made public, according to Vanyaland. Terrycloth was born Peter Ventantonio on June 11, 1970. He grew up in Bridgewater Township, N.J., before moving to Brooklyn to start The World/Inferno Friendship Society, of whom he was the sole constant member. Before that, the musician founded the band Sticks and Stones, in which he contributed guitar and vocals.
“We are devastated to say that our guiding spirit, instigator, inciter — the person who, to most of us, lived under the name Jack Terricloth — has left us for the astral plane,” The World/Inferno Friendship Society said on Facebook.
The group added that they’re currently planning a “celebration of his extraordinary life. For now, we want to thank Jack for inspiring this remarkable community — something more than simply band, family or scene — which changed the lives of so many people in ways which are hard to articulate, and which is perhaps the most enduring part of his legacy. Please raise a glass of your choice in his memory; we shall not see his like again.”
Below, after the band’s statement, see some videos of Terricloth and The World/Inferno Friendship Society in action. The group’s latest album, All Borders Are Porous to Cats (2020), along with others, is available on their Bandcamp page.