Billy Tourtelot

Vocation

Notable

American musician known as the singer, guitar player and frontman for the St. Petersburg, Florida heavy metal and industrial band Hell on Earth. Tourtelot is famous for accepting a terminally ill fan's request to die onstage in 2003, a decision that prompted a legal battle with the city of St. Petersburg. In September 2003 lead singer BillY Tourtelot said the band accepted a terminally ill fan's request to die on stage during the band's concert scheduled for 4 October 2003 at The Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida. Consequently, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist announced that the band would be prosecuted for assisting with suicide. In 2004, the Florida Senate, in response to the band's actions, passed a bill barring the "exploitation of self-murder" for "commercial or entertainment purposes," subsequently signed into law by Governor Bush. On 3 November 2003, Billy Tourtelot ran as a write-in candidate for city councillor in District 3 of St. Petersburg against incumbent Bill Foster. Link to Wikipedia biography