Dead Kennedys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dead Kennedys
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Dead Kennedys performing in 2019
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| Origin | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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| Members | East Bay Ray Klaus Flouride Ron "Skip" Greer |
| Past members | Jello Biafra Brandon Cruz 6025 Ted Jeff Penalty Dave Scheff Greg Reeves D. H. Peligro |
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band. They formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was very important in the punk rock scene during their first eight years.
Dead Kennedys often wrote songs about politics. They used humor to make fun of politicians and people in charge. They also commented on popular culture and even the punk movement itself. From 1978 to 1986, their direct lyrics and album art caused a lot of discussion. Some stores even refused to sell their music. This led to talks about freedom of speech in music.
The band released four studio albums and one EP. They then broke up in 1986. After the band split, the singer Jello Biafra worked with other artists. He also released albums where he spoke about his political ideas.
Even though Dead Kennedys still play live shows, they have not released new music. Their last studio album, Bedtime for Democracy, came out in 1986.
Contents
History of the Band
Dead Kennedys started in June 1978 in San Francisco, California. The first members were East Bay Ray on guitar, Klaus Flouride on bass, Jello Biafra singing, Ted on drums, and 6025 on rhythm guitar. This group made their first demo recordings. Their first live show was on July 19, 1978, at Mabuhay Gardens.
In June 1980, the band recorded their first album. It was called Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. It came out in September on the UK label Cherry Red. The album reached number 33 on the UK Albums Chart.
In January 1981, Ted decided to leave the band. He wanted to work in architecture. He played his last show in February 1981. D. H. Peligro became the new drummer.
After Peligro joined, the band released an EP called In God We Trust, Inc. in 1981. Their music became faster and more intense. In 1982, they released their second album, Plastic Surgery Disasters.
The band's music changed a lot quickly. It became more complex and interesting. They used different styles and instruments. The band also became known for their political messages. They spoke out against things they saw as unfair in society. This included certain political ideas and rich people who didn't care about others. The band toured all over the United States, Europe, and Australia. They gained many fans who liked their underground style. They kept writing new songs for their next album.
The album Frankenchrist came out in 1985. It showed the band's musical skills had grown. They still had fast songs, but also used instruments like trumpets and synthesizers. Around this time, Klaus Flouride released his own experimental music. The band continued to write songs that commented on society.
The band decided to break up in January 1986. This was before their album Bedtime for Democracy was recorded and released. Their last show with the original members was on February 21. Biafra continued to share his political ideas on TV. He also released spoken-word albums. Ray, Flouride, and Peligro also started their own music projects.
Dead Kennedys: 2001 to Today
In 2001, Ray, Peligro, and Flouride started Dead Kennedys again. Brandon Cruz became the new singer. For a few shows, they called themselves "DK Kennedys." But they soon went back to "Dead Kennedys." They played concerts across the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and Russia. Brandon Cruz left in May 2003. Jeff Penalty took his place. The band released two live albums. Mutiny on the Bay had songs from different live shows. Live at the Deaf Club was a recording from a 1979 show.
On October 9, 2007, a "best of" album was released. It was called Milking the Sacred Cow. It included two live songs that had not been released before.
Jeff Penalty left the band in March 2008. Ron "Skip" Greer became the new singer. D. H. Peligro also left for a while. Dave Scheff filled in on drums for a tour.
On August 21, 2008, the band announced a break from touring. This was because of health issues for Flouride and Peligro. They said they planned to work on new music together.
Dead Kennedys had world tours in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 and 2016, they toured again. This included South America, where they had not played since 2001.
On April 26, 2019, the band released DK40. This was a live album celebrating 40 years since the band started.
On October 28, 2022, D. H. Peligro sadly passed away. This was due to an accidental fall.
Band Members
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Current members
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Former members
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Member Timeline
Discography
- Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
- Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982)
- Frankenchrist (1985)
- Bedtime for Democracy (1986)
See also
In Spanish: Dead Kennedys para niños
- List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area
- Ronald Reagan in music
Images for kids
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Left to right: East Bay Ray, Jello Biafra, D. H. Peligro and Klaus Flouride
