Editing Dead Kennedys (section)

== History ==
=== Formation of the band (1978–1979) ===
Dead Kennedys were formed in June 1978 in [[San Francisco, California]], when [[East Bay Ray]] (Raymond Pepperell) advertised for bandmates in the newspaper ''[[The Recycler]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nathaniel |last=Lay|url=https://newnoisemagazine.com/news-dead-kennedys-celebrate-40-years-with-limited-edition-vinyl-set/|title=NEWS: Dead Kennedys Celebrate 40 Years With Limited Edition Vinyl Set|website=[[New Noise Magazine]]|date=November 15, 2019|language=en|access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref> The original band lineup consisted of East Bay Ray on lead guitar, [[Klaus Flouride]] (Geoffrey Lyall) on bass, [[Jello Biafra]] (Eric Reed Boucher) on vocals, [[Ted (musician)|Ted]] (Bruce Slesinger) on drums and [[Carlos Cadona|6025]] (Carlos Cadona) on rhythm guitar. This lineup recorded their [[The 1978 Demos|first demos]]. Their first live show was on July 19, 1978 at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco, California. They were the opening act on a bill that included DV8 and Negative Trend with The Offs headlining.[https://oldpunkflyers.tumblr.com/image/149937616131]

Dead Kennedys played numerous shows at local venues afterward. Due to the provocative name of the band, they sometimes played under pseudonyms, including "The DK's", "The Sharks", "The Creamsicles" and "The Pink Twinkies". ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' columnist [[Herb Caen]] wrote in November 1978, "Just when you think tastelessness has reached its [[nadir]], along comes a punk rock group called 'The Dead Kennedys', which will play at Mabuhay Gardens on Nov. 22, the 15th anniversary of [[John F. Kennedy's assassination]]." Despite mounting protests, the owner of Mabuhay declared, "I can't cancel them NOW—there's a contract. Not, apparently, the kind of contract some people have in mind."<ref>Caen, Herb (November 17, 1978) "On the Rotunda." ''San Francisco Chronicle.''</ref> However, despite popular belief, the name was not meant to insult the Kennedy family, but according to Ray, "the assassinations were in much more poor taste than our band. We actually respect the Kennedy family. . . . When JFK was assassinated, when [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King was assassinated]], when [[Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy|RFK was assassinated]], the [[American Dream]] was assassinated. . . . Our name is actually homage to the American Dream."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lincoln A. |last=Mitchell|url=https://lithub.com/dead-kennedys-in-the-west-the-politicized-punks-of-1970s-san-francisco/|title=Dead Kennedys in the West: The Politicized Punks of 1970s San Francisco|website=Literary Hub|date=October 22, 2019|language=en|access-date=August 4, 2020}}</ref>

6025 left the band in March 1979 under somewhat unclear circumstances, generally considered to be musical differences. In June, the band released their first single, "[[California Über Alles]]", on Biafra and East Bay Ray's [[independent label]], [[Alternative Tentacles]]. The band followed with a poorly attended [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] tour, being a new and fairly unknown band at the time, without a full album release.

=== ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' (1980–1981) ===
[[File:Jello-Biafra.jpg|thumb|Biafra performing live]]
In early 1980, they recorded and released the single "[[Holiday in Cambodia]]". In June, the band recorded their debut album, ''[[Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables]]'', released in September of that year on the UK label Cherry Red. The album reached number 33 on the [[UK Albums Chart]]. Since its initial release, it has been re-released by several other labels, including [[IRS Records|IRS]], Alternative Tentacles, and Cleopatra. The 2005 reissue—the special 25th-anniversary edition—features the original artwork and a bonus 55-minute DVD documenting the making of the album as well as the band's early years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2626-fresh-fruit-for-rotting-vegetables/|title=Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables|website=Pitchfork|language=en|access-date=March 12, 2019|archive-date=August 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816043201/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2626-fresh-fruit-for-rotting-vegetables/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On March 25, 1980, Dead Kennedys were invited to perform at the [[Bay Area Music Awards]] in an effort to give the event some "new wave credibility", in the words of the organizers. The day of the performance was spent practicing the song they were asked to play, the underground hit "California über alles". The band became the talking point of the ceremony when after about 15 seconds into the song, Biafra stopped the band—in a manner reminiscent of [[Radio Radio#1977 Saturday Night Live appearance|Elvis Costello's ''Saturday Night Live'' appearance]]—and said, "Hold it! We've gotta prove that we're adults now. We're not a punk rock band, we're a [[New wave music|new wave]] band." The band, all wearing white shirts with a big, black S painted on the front, pulled black ties from around the backs of their necks to form a dollar sign, then started playing a new song titled "Pull My Strings", a barbed, [[Satire|satirical]] attack on the ethics of the mainstream music industry, which contained the lyrics, "Is my cock big enough, is my brain small enough, for you to make me a star?". The song also referenced [[The Knack]]'s song "[[My Sharona]]". "Pull My Strings" was never recorded for a studio release, though the performance at the Bay Area Music Awards, which was one of only two times that the song was ever performed, was released on the band's 1987 compilation album ''[[Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death]]''. In a 2017 interview about the show Klaus stated, "We did one other performance of it at The Mabuhay and that was the only other time we performed it... like within a week of the Bammies"<ref>{{Citation |title=Ep023 – Klaus Flouride of Dead Kennedys – Longform Interview – The Vinyl Guide | date=November 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q91D5blBdO8 |access-date=2023-04-16 |language=en}}</ref> It’s unknown if this performance was ever recorded.

In January 1981, Ted announced that he wanted to leave to pursue a career in architecture and would help look for a replacement. He played his last concert in February 1981. His replacement was [[D.&nbsp;H. Peligro]] (Darren Henley). Around the same time, East Bay Ray had tried to pressure the rest of the band to sign to the major record label [[Polydor Records]]; Biafra stated that he was prepared to leave the group if the rest of the band wanted to sign to the label,<ref name="polydor">Nardwuar the Human Serviette, December 2005 interview with Jello Biafra and The Melvins, as reproduced in [http://www.alternativetentacles.com/batcasts/batcast-013-2006_04_25.m4a Alternative Tentacles Batcast No.&nbsp;15, April 25, 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603233500/http://www.alternativetentacles.com/batcasts/batcast-013-2006_04_25.m4a |date=June 3, 2011 }}</ref> though East Bay Ray asserts that he recommended against signing with Polydor. Polydor decided not to sign the band after they learned that Dead Kennedys' next single was to be entitled "[[Too Drunk to Fuck]]".

When "Too Drunk to Fuck" came out in May 1981 it caused controversy in the UK, as the BBC feared the single would reach the Top 30, which would necessitate its title being mentioned on ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. It was never played, although it was simply called "'Too Drunk' by the Kennedys" by presenter [[Tony Blackburn]].

=== ''In God We Trust, Inc.'', ''Plastic Surgery Disasters'' and Alternative Tentacles Records (1981–1985) ===
[[File:Dead Kennedys 1983 press photo.jpg|thumb|Dead Kennedys in 1983. From left: Klaus Flouride, Jello Biafra, D.H. Peligro, and East Bay Ray]]
After Peligro joined the band, the extended play ''[[In God We Trust, Inc.]]'' (1981) saw them move toward a more aggressive hardcore/thrash sound. In addition to the EP's controversial artwork depicting a gold Christ figure on a cross of dollar bills, the lyrics contained Biafra's most biting social and political commentary yet, and songs such as "[[Moral Majority]]", "[[Nazi Punks Fuck Off!]]" and "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" placed Dead Kennedys as the spokesmen of social protest, while "Dog Bite", a cover version of ''[[Rawhide (song)|Rawhide]]'' and various joke introductions showed a much more whimsical side. In 1982, they released their second studio album, ''[[Plastic Surgery Disasters]]''. The album's cover features a withered starving African child's hand being held and dwarfed by a white man's hand, a picture that had won the World Press Photo award in 1980, taken in Karamoja district in Uganda by Mike Wells.

The band's music had evolved considerably in a short time, moving away from hardcore formulae toward a more innovative jazz-informed style, featuring musicianship and dynamics far beyond other bands in the genre (thus effectively removing the music from that genre). By now the group had become a de facto political force, pitting itself against rising elements of American social and political life such as the religious right, Ronald Reagan and the idle rich. The band continued touring all over the United States, as well as Europe and Australia, and gained a large underground following. While they continued to play live shows during 1983 and 1984, they took a break from releasing new records to concentrate on the [[Alternative Tentacles]] record label, which would become synonymous with DIY alternative culture. The band continued to write and perform new material during this time, which would appear on their next album (some of these early performances can be seen in the ''[[DMPO's on Broadway]]'' video, originally released by [[Dirk Dirksen]] and later reissued on Rhino).

=== ''Frankenchrist'' and obscenity trial (1985–1986) ===
The release of the album ''[[Frankenchrist]]'' in 1985 showed the band had grown in musical proficiency and lyrical maturity. While there were still a number of loud/fast songs, much of the music featured an eclectic mix of instruments including trumpets and synthesizers. Around this time [[Klaus Flouride]] released the similarly experimental solo EP ''[[Cha Cha Cha With Mr. Flouride]]''. Lyrically, the band continued their trademark social commentary, with songs such as "MTV Get Off The Air" and "Jock-O-Rama (Invasion of the Beef Patrol)" poking fun at mainstream America.

However, the controversy that erupted over [[H. R. Giger|H.R. Giger]]'s ''[[Penis Landscape]]'', included as an insert with the album, dwarfed the notoriety of its music. The artwork caused a furor with the newly formed [[Parents Music Resource Center]] (PMRC). In December 1985 a teenage girl purchased the album at the [[Wherehouse Entertainment|Wherehouse Records]] store in [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]].<ref name=WishniaNation>Wishnia, Steven. "Of Punk and Pornography: Rockin' With the First Amendment". ''The Nation''. October 24, 1987.</ref> The girl's mother wrote letters of complaint to the [[California Attorney General]] and to Los Angeles [[prosecutors]].<ref name=WishniaNation /> In June 1986, members of the band, along with other parties involved in the distribution of ''Frankenchrist'', were charged criminally with distribution of harmful matter to minors. The store where the teen actually purchased the album was never named in the lawsuit.<ref name=WishniaNation /> The criminal charges focused on an illustration by [[H.R. Giger]], titled "Work 219: Landscape XX" (also known as ''[[Penis Landscape]]''). Included as a poster with the album, ''Penis Landscape'' depicts nine copulating penises and vaginas.<ref>Deflem, Mathieu. 2020. [https://deflem.blogspot.com/2019/07/music-censorship-labeling.html "Popular Culture and Social Control: The Moral Panic on Music Labeling."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803015238/https://deflem.blogspot.com/2019/07/music-censorship-labeling.html |date=August 3, 2019 }} ''American Journal of Criminal Justice'' 45(1):2-24 (First published online July 24, 2019).</ref>

Members of the band and others in the chain of distribution were charged with violating the California Penal Code<ref name="penalcode">[http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html California Penal Code] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714132609/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html |date=July 14, 2009 }} at leginfo.ca.gov</ref> on a [[misdemeanor]] charge carrying a maximum penalty of up to a year in county jail and a base fine of up to $2,000. Biafra says that during this time government agents invaded and searched his home. The prosecution tried to present the poster to the jury in isolation for consideration as obscene material, but Judge Susan Isacoff ruled that the poster must be considered along with the music and lyrics.<ref>[http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/reti052804.htm "Judge Isacoff, Commissioner Duffey Slate July Retirements"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714182105/http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/reti052804.htm |date=July 14, 2007 }} ''Metropolitan News-Enterprise''. May 28, 2004</ref> The charges against three of the original defendants, Ruth Schwartz (owner of [[Mordam Records]]), Steve Boudreau (a distributor involved in supplying ''Frankenchrist'' to the Los Angeles Wherehouse store), and Salvatore Alberti (owner of the factory where the record was pressed), were dismissed for lack of evidence.<ref name=WishniaNation />

In August 1987, the case went to the jury with two remaining defendants: Jello Biafra and Michael Bonanno (former Alternative Tentacles label manager).<ref name=WishniaNation /> However, the criminal trial ended with a hung jury, split 7 to 5 in favor of acquittal. [[District Attorney]]s Michael Guarino and Ira Riener made a motion for a retrial which was denied by Judge Isacoff, [[Superior Court]] Judge for the County of Los Angeles.<ref>Drozdowski, Ted. [https://web.archive.org/web/20010423020902/http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/2503/interview06.html "Jello Biafra cuts to the politics of pop"]</ref> The album, however, was banned from many record stores nationwide.

After the break up of the band, Jello Biafra brought up the court case on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]''. Biafra was on the show with [[Tipper Gore]] as part of a panel discussion on the issues of "controversial music lyrics" and censorship.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=[[YouTube]]|title=Jello Biafra The Oprah Winfrey Show|date=May 13, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNoEWol1wbg|access-date=August 19, 2018|archive-date=August 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820195241/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNoEWol1wbg&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== ''Bedtime for Democracy'' and break-up (1986) ===
In addition to the obscenity lawsuit, the band became increasingly disillusioned with the underground scene as well. The hardcore scene, which had been a haven for free-thinking intellectuals and downtrodden nonconformists, was attracting a more violent audience that imposed an increasing level of brutality on other concertgoers and began to alienate many of the bands and individuals who had helped pioneer the movement in the early 1980s. In earlier years the band had criticized neo-Nazi skinheads for trying to ruin the punk scene, but just as big a problem was the popularity of increasingly macho hardcore bands, which brought the group (and their genre) an audience that had little to do with the ideas/ideals they stood for. Biafra penned new songs such as "[[Bedtime for Democracy|Chickenshit Conformist]]" and "[[Bedtime for Democracy|Anarchy for Sale]]" that articulated the band's feelings about the "dumbing down" of punk rock. During the summer they recorded these for their final album, ''[[Bedtime for Democracy]]'', which was released in November. The artwork, depicting a defaced [[Statue of Liberty]] overrun with Nazis, media, opportunists, Klan members, corrupt government officials, and religious zombies, echoed the idea that neither America itself nor the punk scene were safe havens any more for "your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". The album contains a number of fast/short songs interspersed with jazz ("D.M.S.O."), spoken word ("A Commercial") and psychedelia ("Cesspools In Eden").{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

The band decided to split up in January 1986, prior to the recording and release of ''Bedtime for Democracy'', and played their last live show with the original lineup on 21 February.<ref>{{Cite web |last=bigspin |date=2011-04-06 |title=Dead Kennedys |url=https://beat.com.au/dead-kennedys/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Beat Magazine |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Punknews.org |title=Dead Kennedys – Bedtime for Democracy |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/15413/dead-kennedys-bedtime-for-democracy |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=www.punknews.org |date=July 30, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Biafra went on to speak about his political beliefs on numerous television shows and he released a number of [[spoken-word]] albums. Ray, Flouride, and Peligro also went on to solo careers. As of 2025, it remains the band's final studio album.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cleary |first1=David |title=Bedtime for Democracy - Dead Kennedys (review) |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bedtime-for-democracy-mw0000189623 |website=AllMusic |access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref>

===Band reformation and death of Peligro (2001–present)===
In 2001, Ray, Peligro, and Flouride reformed the Dead Kennedys, with former [[Dr. Know (band)|Dr. Know]] singer [[Brandon Cruz]] replacing Biafra on vocals. The band played under the name "DK Kennedys" for a few concerts, but later reverted to "Dead Kennedys" permanently. They played across the continental United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and Russia. Brandon Cruz left the band in May 2003 and was replaced by [[Jeff Penalty]]. The band has released two live albums of archival performances on Manifesto Records: ''[[Mutiny on the Bay]]'', compiled from various live shows including a recording from their last show with Biafra in 1986, and ''[[Live at the Deaf Club]]'', a recording of a 1979 performance at the Deaf Club in [[San Francisco]] which was greeted with more enthusiasm.

On October 9, 2007, a [[greatest hits album|best of album]] titled ''[[Milking the Sacred Cow]]'' was released. It includes two previously unreleased live versions of "Soup Is Good Food" and "Jock-O-Rama", originally found on ''Frankenchrist''.

Jeff Penalty left the band in March 2008 in what he describes as a "not amicable split."<ref name=Penalty>{{cite web |url=http://www.punknews.org/article/28168 |title=Jeff Penalty leaves the Dead Kennedys |work=Punknews.org |date=March 20, 2008 |access-date=July 17, 2011 |archive-date=May 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521100001/http://www.punknews.org/article/28168 |url-status=live }}</ref> In a statement released, Jeff said that, following a series of disputes, the band had secretly recruited a new singer and played a gig in his neighbourhood, although he also stated he was "really proud of what we were able to accomplish with Dead Kennedys".<ref name=Penalty /> He was replaced by former [[Wynona Riders]] singer Ron "Skip" Greer. D.&nbsp;H. Peligro also left the band to "take some personal time off". He was replaced for a tour by [[Translator (band)|Translator]] drummer Dave Scheff.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deadkennedys.com/news.html#032408 |title=Welcome To The Official Website For Dead Kennedys |publisher=Deadkennedys.com |access-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-date=May 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519002615/http://deadkennedys.com/news.html#032408 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On August 21, 2008, the band announced an extended break from touring due to the health-related issues of Flouride and Peligro. They stated their plans to collaborate on new projects. The band performed a gig in [[Santa Rosa, California]] in June 2009, with Peligro returning to the drum kit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deadkennedys.com/tours.html |title=Official Dead Kennedys web site |publisher=Deadkennedys.com |access-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-date=June 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603234520/http://deadkennedys.com/tours.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2010, Dead Kennedys announced plans for a short East Coast tour. The lineup assembled for this tour contained East Bay Ray, Peligro, Greer, and bassist Greg Reeves replacing Flouride, who was taking "personal time off" from the band.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deadkennedys.com/news.html#081110 |title=Official web page news section |publisher=Deadkennedys.com |access-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-date=May 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519002615/http://deadkennedys.com/news.html#081110 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[http://serviette.ca/radio_show/2011/nw20110211.mp3 Nardwuar interview with Jello Biafra] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925085239/http://serviette.ca/radio_show/2011/nw20110211.mp3 |date=September 25, 2020 }}, Serviette.ca, February 11, 2011, accessed April 5, 2011.</ref> The tour dates included performances in [[Philadelphia]], [[New York City]], [[Boston]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Portland, Maine]] and [[Hawaii]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.punknews.org/article/39114 |title=Dead Kennedy's 2010 tour |date=July 19, 2010 |publisher=Punknews.org |access-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-date=November 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125072119/http://www.punknews.org/article/39114 |url-status=live }}</ref> The band has played a reworked version of their song "MTV Get Off the Air", re-titled "MP3 Get Off the Web", with lyrics criticizing music piracy during their October 16, 2010, concert at the Rock and Roll Hotel in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="newmaterial">{{cite web |url=http://dcheavymetal.com/2010/10/18/a-post-about-the-dead-kennedys |title=A Post About The Dead Kennedys |publisher=Dcheavymetal.com |date=October 18, 2010 |access-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-date=August 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814095317/http://dcheavymetal.com/2010/10/18/a-post-about-the-dead-kennedys/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Dead Kennedys had world tours in 2013 and in 2014, the latter mostly in North American cities. In 2015 and 2016 they toured again, including South America, where they had not played since 2001.

In 2017, East Bay Ray revealed that the band and Jello Biafra had been approached by the Punk-oriented music festival [[Riot Fest]] about a potential reunion. While Ray and the rest of the band expressed interest in the concept, Biafra refused.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/dead-kennedys-turn-down-reunion-gig-at-riot-fest-remaining-100-percent-114890|title=Dead Kennedys turn down reunion gig at Riot Fest, remaining 100 percent punk|website=Axs.com|access-date=October 14, 2019|archive-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613095932/https://www.axs.com/dead-kennedys-turn-down-reunion-gig-at-riot-fest-remaining-100-percent-114890|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 26, 2019, the group released ''DK40'', a live compilation album celebrating 40 years since the band formed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8506510/dead-kennedys-east-bay-ray-dk40-live|title=Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray on Their Explosive Live Legacy -- And His Hopes for Jello Biafra|website=Billboard.com|access-date=October 14, 2019|archive-date=October 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017005442/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8506510/dead-kennedys-east-bay-ray-dk40-live|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 28, 2022, D.H. Peligro died from an overdose of heroin and fentanyl, although it was initially believed to have been from possible head trauma from a fall at his home that day.<ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/DeadKennedys/status/1586433597325512704 |title=Dead Kennedys' drummer D.H. Peligro (Darren Henley) passed away in his Los Angeles home yesterday, Oct 28th. |user=DeadKennedys |author=Dead Kennedys |number=1586433597325512704 |date=October 29, 2022 |access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dead Kennedys Drummer D.H. Peligro's Cause of Death Revealed |url=https://www.tmz.com/2023/05/02/dead-kennedys-drummer-dh-peligro-cause-death-dead-dies-drugs-fentanyl/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=TMZ |date=May 2, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Since Peligro's death, the band has performed in the UK with Santi Guardiola and the United States with Steve Wilson (who had played in D. H. Peligro's band Peligro before) filling in on drums.