Dennis DePianto, otherwise known as known as D.D. Meanie, passed away in St Vincent's Hospital last Thursday the 14th February. He was 45.

Dennis was the guitarist for seminal pop-punk Melbourne band the Meanies from 1988 until 1995. He had been ill for some time with muscular dystrophy and, more recently, a short but stubborn battle with cancer.

The press release explains: "Dennis suffered from muscular dystrophy as a child yet, despite the disability, he refused to let it stop him from pursuing his dream to be a rock guitarist. His relentless guitar style is stamped on many of the most well-known Meanies' classics, including 'Darkside', 'Paranoid', 'Ton of Bricks', '10% Weird', 'Mr. Authority', 'Big Bertha', etc."

As The Meanies popularity grew in the early 90's, D.D. refused to let his illness interfere with opportunities presented to the band. A recent post by band member Ringo on the official Meanies website illustrates:

"With the challenge of dealing with muscular dystrophy, he still managed to tour and see the world – Japan, a few times to Europe and The States. Must have been tough going for him at times, being restricted in mobility. Poor bloke got stuck on the 8th (?) floor when we got holed up in Hamburg for a week before a tour – no elevators, only stairs! He generally accepted his lot and enjoyed the experiences that many musicians would envy. He watched pixelated porn in Japan, spoke to fans in Italian when in Italy and enjoyed the sites of Berlin."

"DD will be missed by the Meanies and other bands he has played with. He was a good friend to many. He was immensely proud of his achievements and it gave him great joy to talk about the 'good days' like some old retired rocker. Have no doubt that he inspired a heap of kids to join a daggy punk rock band and be cool. I'm sure he is swapping tour/gig stories with the other DD."

Dennis DePianto will be buried in Adelaide, his hometown.

A memorial gathering is being planned in Melbourne.

The Meanies - 'Paranoid' music video

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