TRUE FIRE CREATOR DIES AGED 60

Mike Lavallee made a name for himself as the pioneer of a flame-painting technique that dramatically changed the way flames were applied to cars. True Fire was Lavallee’s signature and it not only made his Killer Paint workshop an industry name across the globe but saw him spend years travelling the world to teach others how it’s done. We featured his trip to our shores back in Issue No. 121. Lavallee landed himself a role on Chip Foose’s Overhaulin’ after a chance encounter at the Seattle Roadster Show saw Mike offer to fix a scratched paint job on a displayed vehicle, which turned out to be none other than Foose’s. That appearance led to his being on Monster Garage, West Coast Choppers, Rides, Miami Ink, Rock the Boat, Hot Rod TV, and Evening Magazine.

Lavallee’s True Flame technique wasn’t a secret, either; he designed a set of templates and made them available to other artists so they could reproduce his work. Demonstrated in his series of instructional videos, the True Flame technique made Lavallee a well-respected member of the industry worldwide.

Sadly, after suffering a stroke and undergoing emergency surgery, Lavallee passed away on 14 April. He was just 60 years old.