Hilly Kristal, founder of the defunct New York music club CBGB, died of complications of lung cancer. “Kristal opened CBGB in December 1973 on the Bowery in the East Village, an area that was synonymous with poverty, crime and alcohol abuse. He gave the stage to young, then-unknown bands such as the Ramones, Television, Blondie and Talking Heads. Those musicians, especially the Ramones, inspired a generation of punk rockers in London, Los Angeles and around the world.”