Mark Shurilla, a fixture of the Milwaukee music scene whose projects included the punk-era band The Blackholes, the Irish-rock group McTavish and the Buddy Holly tribute band The Greatest Hits, passed away this morning at age 64, his family announced. Shurilla had recently undergone triple bypass surgery, but he remained active in the Milwaukee music scene until his final days. He helped organize last year\'s Rock For Recovery concert at Shank Hall, a benefit for women suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, and he was slated to perform at this month\'s Lest We Forget memorial concert at the Turner Hall Ballroom with The Blackholes.<br /><br />The Blackholes reflected Shurilla\'s esoteric interests. They were Milwaukee\'s polka-influenced answer to The Modern Lovers, a punk-era band with a deep appreciation for the more innocent rock \'n\' roll of the \'50s. And though a decidedly subversive streak ran through Shurilla\'s songs about culture clash, world conflicts and Wisconsin miscellanea, there was nothing ironic about the band\'s polka appropriations. They were one of the punk groups that helped reclaim polka for a new generation of Milwaukeeans.<br /><br />It was a 1982 performance with The Blackholes that led to Shurilla\'s second career as a Buddy Holly impersonator. "There was a guy from a recording studio from Green Bay who I was working with, and he came up with me and my band that night and he said, \'Boy, you look and sound just like Buddy Holly,\'" <a href=\"http://www.advancetitan.com/grand-opera-house-hosts-50s-tribute-show-1.991878#.T7E-BlLheVQ\">Shurilla told the Advance Titan</a> in a 2007 interview. That man invited Shurilla to perform his first Buddy Holly tribute show; for the next 30 years, he performed variations of that show, usually with his band The Greatest Hits.<br /><br />As a producer, Shurilla continued to work with work with and mentor young artists as varied as singer Jayne Taylor and rapper Elvis Thao. He was also played an integral role in this newspaper\'s history as a contributor for the <em>Express</em>, the photocopied zine that would later merge with the <em>Crazy Shepherd</em> to become the <em>Shepherd Express</em>. He continued to write for the <em>Shepherd </em>on occasion.<br /><br />The Greatest Hits will continue to perform in Shurilla\'s honor, his bandmate Danny J said. "We\'re also going to do a special show to honor his life, and all the proceeds will go his family," Danny J said. Details have not been finalized yet for the show, which will be held at Shank Hall.<br /><br />Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. This post will be updated when they are.<br /><br /><br />
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