Monica Levy, Original 'Monica Sex' Bassist, Passes Away at 67 After Illness

Monica Levy, the musician who inspired the stage name "Monica Sex" used by the famous Israeli rock band, died this morning at age 67 after a long battle with a serious illness. Levy was the bassist for the punk-rock band Killer HaLohet and the original bearer of the name that later became the band's name. Her funeral will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18, at 4 p.m. in the Omer cemetery.

Yehli Sobol, lead singer of Monica Sex, recalled meeting Levy years after adopting the band's name, describing her as a stunning bassist with a captivating stage presence and charm. The name "Monica Sex" was originally given to her by her brother-in-law, who knew her from the band Killer HaLohet in Haifa. Sobol said the band chose the name after hearing about her and felt some of her magic remained with them through the name.

Musician and bandmate Yoram Mark-Reich shared on Facebook that Monica Levy was born in Romania and immigrated to Israel at age six, growing up in Beersheba. During her IDF service, she worked as an investigator in the Military Police and met her husband, Meir Levy, who later became deputy commander of the national Military Police unit. During this time, she formed the initial lineup of Killer HaLohet with Mark-Reich and Yaron Dekel. Known then as Monica Friedman, she was nicknamed "Monica Sex" for her beauty, a name later adopted by Yehli Sobol's band.

Killer HaLohet's first hit was "I Want to Be Prime Minister!" released in 1981. Monica left the band after marrying Meir Levy and becoming pregnant, with the band recording a farewell song titled "The Night Has Not Passed Yet". The couple lived in the moshav Omer and had two children and six grandchildren. Monica battled a severe illness for about four years, undergoing aggressive treatments, but the disease repeatedly worsened. She passed away this morning at Hadassah Hospital, with her husband by her side.

Her passing marks the loss of a pioneering figure in Israeli rock music, whose legacy lives on through the band Monica Sex and the memories of her peers.