Darren Eric Henley (July 9, 1959 – October 28, 2022), better known by his stage name D. H. Peligro, was an American
punk rock musician, most commonly known as the drummer for
The Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing ...
along with a brief stint as the drummer for
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
.
Career
The Dead Kennedys (1981–1986, 2001–2008, 2009–2022)
Peligro joined The Dead Kennedys in February 1981, replacing original drummer,
Ted, and made his recorded debut with the group on the
EP ''
In God We Trust, Inc.'' which was released in December of that year. He would go on to record the studio albums ''
Plastic Surgery Disasters'', ''
Frankenchrist
''Frankenchrist'' is the third album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys, released in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.
The album is an example of the progressive, psychedelic side of Dead Kennedys' musical personality. The spaghetti We ...
'', and ''
Bedtime for Democracy
''Bedtime for Democracy'' is the fourth and final studio album by American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Released in 1986, songs on this album cover common punk subjects often found in punk rock lyrics of the era such as Conformity (psychology), ...
'', as well as singles/rarities collection, ''
Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
''Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death'' (stylized as ''Give me convenience OR give me death'') is a compilation album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. It was released in June 1987 through front man Jello Biafra's record label Al ...
''. The Dead Kennedys broke up in December 1986.
In 2001, The Dead Kennedys along with Peligro reunited without former frontman and primary songwriter
Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
following a civil fraud complaint against Biafra, accusing him of withholding
royalties. Biafra was ultimately convicted of fraud, malice and breach of contract, a verdict upheld on appeal before the California Supreme Court, and was ordered to pay $220,000 in actual and punitive damages.
Dr. Know singer Brandon Cruz would replace Biafra on vocals and they played under the name "DK Kennedys" for a few concerts, but later reverted to "The Dead Kennedys" permanently. Cruz left the band in May 2003 and was replaced by
Jeff Penalty
Jeff Alulis, better known by his stage name Jeff Penalty, is a writer, filmmaker, and musician, known mainly for his documentary work and his position as a former lead singer of Dead Kennedys.
Early life
Penalty was born and raised in Brooma ...
who left the band in 2008 and was replaced by Ron "Skip" Greer. Since reuniting the band has released recording from their last show with Biafra in 1986 titled ''
Mutiny on the Bay'' and ''
Live at the Deaf Club'', a recording of a 1979 performance. In 2007, a best of album titled ''
Milking the Sacred Cow'' was released and included two previously unreleased live songs.
In early 2008, Peligro took a hiatus from The Dead Kennedys, citing the need for time off from touring. The brief hiatus lasted until June 2009 when Peligro rejoined the band.
Red Hot Chili Peppers (1988)
In 1988, Peligro joined the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
replacing drummer
Jack Irons
Jack Steven Irons (born July 18, 1962) is an American drummer. He is the founding drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and is a former member of Pearl Jam and Eleven.
Alongside his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, Irons ...
. Guitarist
Hillel Slovak
Hillel Slovak ( he, הלל סלובק; April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988) was an Israeli-American musician best known as the founding guitarist of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded two albums. His guitar wo ...
had recently died of a heroin overdose and was replaced by guitarist
DeWayne McKnight
DeWayne Stephen "Blackbyrd" McKnight (born April 17, 1954) is an American guitarist. He was a member of The Headhunters, a jazz-funk fusion band from 1975 through 1978 and Parliament-Funkadelic from 1978 through 2008. He served briefly as ...
. Peligro had been friends with the band for years and had played in a comedy band called Three Little Butt Hairs with singer
Anthony Kiedis and bassist
Flea
Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
. McKnight was fired three shows into their tour in September 1988 and was replaced by
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...
. Peligro would last a bit longer than McKnight, helping to write some songs on the band's fourth album, ''
Mother's Milk'', which was released the following year, although Peligro did not perform on the album. Due to his ongoing drug and alcohol issues, the band decided to fire Peligro in November 1988. Peligro didn't handle his firing well. Flea said that he stayed in bed for days after making the decision to fire Peligro. Years later, Kiedis said firing Peligro was one of the toughest things the band ever had to do, although Kiedis became a major part of Peligro's road to sobriety, which began after he was fired.
Chad Smith
Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...
replaced Peligro a few weeks later and has been with the band ever since.
Red Hot Chili Peppers were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012. Peligro was not inducted with them.
Other bands
Peligro also played briefly with The Hellations, Jungle Studs,
Nailbomb
Nailbomb was a heavy metal band formed in 1994 as a side project by Brazilian musician Max Cavalera of Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy and Soulfly, and English musician Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. The band recorded one studio album, '' Point ...
,
The Feederz
The Feederz are a punk rock band, originally from Arizona. They are known for their controversial song "Jesus" (aka "Jesus Entering from the Rear"), which was featured on Alternative Tentacles' infamous '' Let Them Eat Jellybeans'' compilation, ...
, Lock-Up, The Two Free Stooges and SSI. Peligro was the frontman for his band called ''Peligro'' (Spanish for "Danger") and has released three albums: ''Peligro'' (released in 1995 on Biafra's
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, ...
record label, but deleted from the catalog in 2001), ''Welcome to America'' and ''Sum of Our Surroundings'', which won Rock Album of the Year from the American Independent Music Awards. Peligro's sound is known to be an eclectic combination of
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
,
funk and
heavy metal. D. H. Peligro has also fronted the bands Reverend Jones and the Cool Aid Choir and Al Sharpton's Hair and the Hellions. He appears as an interview subject in the 2003 documentary ''
Afro-Punk''. In 2020, Peligro recorded the song "Power is Taken" with
Moby, which was also included in the album ''All Visible Objects''.
Death
On October 28, 2022, Peligro died in his Los Angeles home. Police reported that he died from trauma to the head, caused by an accidental fall.
Discography
Dead Kennedys
* ''
In God We Trust, Inc.'' (1981)
* ''
Plastic Surgery Disasters'' (1982)
* ''
Frankenchrist
''Frankenchrist'' is the third album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys, released in 1985 on Alternative Tentacles.
The album is an example of the progressive, psychedelic side of Dead Kennedys' musical personality. The spaghetti We ...
'' (1985)
* ''
Bedtime for Democracy
''Bedtime for Democracy'' is the fourth and final studio album by American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Released in 1986, songs on this album cover common punk subjects often found in punk rock lyrics of the era such as Conformity (psychology), ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
''Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death'' (stylized as ''Give me convenience OR give me death'') is a compilation album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. It was released in June 1987 through front man Jello Biafra's record label Al ...
'' (1987)
* ''
DMPO's on Broadway'' (2000)
* ''
Mutiny on the Bay'' (2001)
* ''
The Early Years Live'' (2001)
* ''
In God We Trust, Inc.: The Lost Tapes'' (2003)
* ''
Live at the Deaf Club'' (2004)
* ''
Milking the Sacred Cow'' (2007)
* ''Original Singles Collection'' (2014)
Jungle Studs
* ''Jungle Studs'' (1986)
Peligro
* ''Peligro'' (1995)
* ''Welcome To America'' (2000)
* ''Sum Of Our Surroundings'' (2004)
Red Hot Chili Peppers
* ''
Mother's Milk'' (1989)
(co-wrote "Sexy Mexican Maid", "Stone Cold Bush" and " Taste the Pain")
Nailbomb
* ''
Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide
''Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide'' is a live album by industrial metal band Nailbomb and captures the band's only live appearance at the 1995 Dynamo Open Air Festival. The album cover is a picture of the aftermath of the infamous Jonestown s ...
'' (1995)
(drums on "Police Truck (The Dead Kennedys Cover)", "Exploitation (Doom Cover)" and "World of Shit")
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peligro, D. H.
1959 births
2022 deaths
Dead Kennedys members
Red Hot Chili Peppers members
American punk rock drummers
American male drummers
Musicians from St. Louis
African-American drummers
African-American rock musicians
Alternative Tentacles artists
20th-century American drummers
Lock Up (American band) members
Nailbomb members
Accidental deaths in California
Accidental deaths from falls