November 14, 2007 | Porn Stars

Joe Romero: RIP

Joe Romero, a prolific pornstar since the mid-90s, passed away on October 30 at his home in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Romero appeared in hundreds of films from "Married Cops Do" to "Sex Hostage." Towards the end of his career he focussed on edgier leather/BDSM inspired videos like "Slave Camp 2," "Cops at Play," and "Biker Pigs From Hell." He even explored the world of barebacking.

Outside of porn Romero became known as a bit of a hellion as a performance artist and musician under the name "Shock Rock Pornstar." He released two albums, "Heavy Metal Porno Star" and "Sexpig," through his own label, MotoRock Records. He retired from it all in 2006 saying he was battling cancer. According to his partner, his death was due to complications from AIDS. [more]

"His persona as a hellraiser was his public image," Romero's partner offered in an obituary. "Privately, he volunteered for organizations such as PAWS LA, AIDS Project Los Angeles and The Tom of Finland Foundation. (He) was an uncommon and vibrant spirit. He will be missed."

Gino Colbert told GayVN that "(Joe) was truly one of the great actors: an enormously strong screen presence, masculine and very, very hot - and a hell of a nice guy. It was always a pleasure to work with him. I don't think he ever gave a bad performance. He loved being in movies, and the camera loved him."