Eva O

Eva Ortiz (born January 11, 1961), known professionally as Eva O, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and video artist. A pioneer of the Los Angeles deathrock scene, she founded the all-female punk band Speed Queens in the late 1970s and the seminal deathrock trio Super Heroines in 1981. She provided backing vocals on Christian Death's influential 1982 debut Only Theatre of Pain and later contributed to reunion lineups. In 1987, she co-founded Shadow Project with her then-husband Rozz Williams of Christian Death. Emerging from the L.A. punk underground, Eva O's theatrical performances, heavy guitar style, and macabre, introspective lyrics helped define deathrock alongside bands like Christian Death, 45 Grave, and Voodoo Church. Press and fans dubbed her the "Queen of Darkness" for her commanding presence and dark aesthetic. She has released a number of solo albums since the 1990s, including her latest, The Rise of Eva O (2018).