Keith Morris (born September 18, 1955) is an American singer and songwriter known for his role as frontman of the

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

bands Black Flag,

Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson. To date, Circle ...

, and

Off! Off! (stylized as OFF!) is an American hardcore punk supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in late 2009 by Circle Jerks/ Black Flag singer Keith Morris, Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats, Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald, ...

. Born and raised in

Hermosa Beach, California Hermosa Beach (''Hermosa'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census. The c ...

, he formed Black Flag at the age of 21 with guitarist

Greg Ginn Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is an American guitarist, bassist, singer and songwriter, best known for being the leader, primary songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led ...

and performed on the band's 1979 debut EP ''

Nervous Breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

''. Shortly after leaving Black Flag in 1979, he formed the Circle Jerks with guitarist Greg Hetson; the band released seven albums between 1980 and 1995 and have broken up and reformed on numerous occasions. In 2009 Morris formed the supergroup Off! with guitarist

Dimitri Coats Dimitri Coats is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and actor. Music career Dimitri Coats is best known as the frontman for the hard rock band Burning Brides and as the guitarist in the hardcore punk band Off!. The Brides have releas ...

, bassist

Steven Shane McDonald Steven Shane "Steve" McDonald (born May 24, 1967) is an American rock musician, best known as the bass guitarist in the Los Angeles alternative rock/power pop band Redd Kross. He is a founding member of the hardcore punk band Off! – serving a ...

, and drummer Mario Rubalcaba. Morris has also appeared as a guest vocalist on several albums by other artists.

Biography

Early life

Morris was born September 18, 1955 and grew up in

. His father, Jerry, had been a budding

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

drummer in his youth and practiced with visiting jazz groups at the

Lighthouse Café The Lighthouse Café is a nightclub located at 30 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, California. It has been active as a jazz showcase since 1949 and, under the name "The Lighthouse", was one of the best known West Coast jazz clubs from the 1950s throu ...

. Jerry later opened a

bait Bait may refer to: General * Bait (luring substance), bait as a luring substance ** Fishing bait, bait used for fishing Film * ''Bait'' (1950 film), a British crime film by Frank Richardson * ''Bait'' (1954 film), an American noir film by Hugo ...

shop in the 1970s and struck up a friendship with jazz record producer

Ozzie Cadena Oscar "Ozzie" Cadena (September 26, 1924 – April 9, 2008) was an American record producer with Savoy Records and Prestige Records who recorded gospel and jazz music in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and helped popularize jazz music in Los Ange ...

(both men's sons, Keith and Dez, later became singers in Black Flag). Keith attended Mira Costa High School, where brothers Greg and Raymond Ginn were also students, and graduated in 1973. He then studied fine art and painting at the Pasadena Arts Center while working at his father's bait shop. One of his co-workers at the shop was Bill Stevenson, a Mira Costa student eight years Morris' junior who would also go on to be a member of Black Flag. Morris and his friends spent their spare time hanging out by the Strand under

Hermosa Beach pier The Hermosa Beach pier is located in the Southern California community of Hermosa Beach. It extends into the Pacific Ocean. In 1904 the first pier was built. It was constructed entirely of wood even to the pilings and it extended five hundred ...

, where they took drugs: "I'd get off work, and we'd get up to trouble," he later recalled, "smoking angel dust, snorting elephant tranquilizers. Just real goofy, 'why-would-you-want-to-do-that?' kinda stuff, the kind of thing you get up to when you're young, and into experimenting. If it was a good experience, then cool; if not, well, then it was just a real hard lesson learned." His early musical tastes included various rock acts such as

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

, Foreigner, Montrose,

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, ...

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Ten Years After Ten Years After are a British rock group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, the band had eight consecutive Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart. In addition, they had twelve albums enter the US ''Billboar ...

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. ...

, Uriah Heep,

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...

, the Scorpions,

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock ...

, and the MC5, "any kind of fist-pumping, 'flick-your-bic' rock. I was into anything that was loud". He became a freely opinionated and passionate fan of heavy rock and protopunk, and took a job working at local record store Rubicon Records.

Black Flag

In 1976, Morris co-founded Black Flag (then-known as Panic) along with guitarist

. Their work ethic proved too challenging for some early members; Ginn and Morris had an especially hard time finding a reliable bass guitarist, and often rehearsed without a bassist, a factor that contributed to the development of Ginn's distinctive, often low-pitched guitar sound. The band went through three bass players before

Chuck Dukowski Gary Arthur McDaniel (born February 1, 1954 ), better known by his stage name Chuck Dukowski, is an American punk rock musician most well known for being the bass player, and occasional songwriter for Black Flag. Career Early years Dukowski ...

joined and then Robo answered a '' Pennysaver'' ad and became their drummer. After a number of line-up changes, Morris recorded vocals for the first Black Flag EP ''

''. After two years in the band, Morris left the band citing, among other reasons, creative differences with Ginn, and his own "freaking out on cocaine and speed."

Circle Jerks

After leaving Black Flag in 1979, Morris founded the

, along with former

Redd Kross Redd Kross is an American rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald while Steve was still in middle school. With the additi ...

guitarist Greg Hetson. Cited as one of the most important hardcore punk groups, the Circle Jerks were active until 1990, when Hetson left the band to continue playing guitar and release a number of albums with

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...

. The Circle Jerks reunited in 1994 and released their last studio album to date in 1995. The group performed on and off until 2011, when they went back on hiatus. In November 2019, plans were announced for a 2020 reunion tour in support of the 40th anniversary of their 1980 album, ''

Group Sex Group sex is Human sexual activity, sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Participants in group sex can be of any sexual orientation or gender. Any form of Human sexual activity, sexual activity can be adopted to involve more th ...

'', however the tour was postponed until September 2021 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In April 2022, six of the dates on their 40th anniversary tour were postponed due to Morris testing positive for the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

virus.

Off!

As of 2010, Morris has been performing and touring with his latest project

, which he founded with

from

Burning Brides Burning Brides were an American hard rock band. They were partially known for their live performances, such as selected dates as the opening band for The White Stripes in 2000. In 2002 they toured with …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead ...

from

, and Mario Rubalcaba from

Earthless Earthless is a mostly instrumental psychedelic rock band from San Diego, California, consisting of guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba. The band formed in 2001 and released their first album, '' Sonic Pr ...

/ Rocket From The Crypt/

Hot Snakes Hot Snakes are an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had found internation ...

. Morris stated in a March 2011 interview that Off! was asked to open future dates for 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 ...

and they said they would even though it might anger some of their younger punk fans. Ultimately, Off! ended up not touring with Red Hot Chili Peppers. Morris has known the band for over 30 years and the Circle Jerks had performed shows with the Chili Peppers in the 80s. The Chili Peppers had also covered Black Flag and the Circle Jerks during their shows. Chili Peppers singer,

Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of F ...

, wore an Off! hat at every show on the band's entire ''

I'm with You World Tour The I'm with You World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers in support of the band's tenth studio album, '' I'm with You''. It marked the band's first tour in four years and first with guitarist Josh K ...

'' including some of their music videos. Morris even filled in for Kiedis during one of the Chili Peppers' shows in 1984. When Kiedis, who was off scoring drugs, failed to show up for the performance, the band asked Morris to fill in on vocals. Morris, who didn't know any of the lyrics, yelled and made up lyrics to the band's songs to get through the performance. In the Chili Peppers' "An Oral/Visual History" book, bassist Flea said "We got an opening slot at the Olympic Auditorium. But Anthony in all his junkie splendor did not show up. Keith Morris from the Circle Jerks said "I'll sing" and so we went out with him. We were just playing the songs and he would yell out stuff - whatever he could." As of 2014, the group has released three studio albums. In July 2021, Off! released their first new song in seven years, a cover of

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

's “Holier than Thou”. The song will be on ''

The Metallica Blacklist ''The Metallica Blacklist'' is a various artists tribute album featuring covers of every track from Metallica's 1991 self-titled album (commonly known as ''The Black Album''). The collection was assembled in conjunction with the original album' ...

'' covers album that is due out on September 10, 2021. Off! also announced that they are working on a new album and a

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

feature film.

FLAG

In 2013, Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Dez Cadena, Bill Stevenson and Descendents member Stephen Egerton, created FLAG as an offshoot of Black Flag. As of now, they are only touring. No plans for an album have been announced.

Other works

After the Circle Jerks' first break-up in 1990, Morris led the bands Bug Lamp and

Midget Handjob Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a Medical terminology, medical term like "dwarfism", a medical conditio ...

. He also provided backing vocals on "Operation Rescue", from

's album '' Against the Grain'' (1990). Morris also narrated Chris Fuller's 2007 Gotham Award-nominated independent film '' Loren Cass''. Morris appeared as the DJ for the West Coast Punk Rock station Channel X in the video game ''

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and the fifteenth in ...

'' released on September 17, 2013 In 2016, Morris released an autobiography called ''My Damage: The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor.''

Personal life

In 1999, Morris was diagnosed with adult onset

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

. He has also been sober since the 1980s. On April 13, 2022, it was revealed on the Circle Jerks' Facebook page that Morris had contracted and was recovering from

Discography

With Black Flag

* ''

'' (1979) * Tracks 1-9 ''

Everything Went Black ''Everything Went Black'' is a compilation album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. It was released in 1982 through SST Records. The compilation comprises early songs recorded before Henry Rollins became the band's vocalist in 1981, ...

'' (1982)

With Circle Jerks

* ''

'' (1980) * '' Wild in the Streets'' (1982) * ''

Golden Shower of Hits ''Golden Shower of Hits'' is the third studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks, released July 21, 1983, by the labels Allegiance and LAX Records. It was the band's last album to feature the band's original bassist Roger Rogerson a ...

'' (1983) * '' Wonderful'' (1985) * '' VI'' (1987) * ''

Gig Gig or GIG may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Gig'' (Circle Jerks album) (1992) * ''Gig'' (Northern Pikes album) (1993) * ''The Gig'', a 1985 film written and directed by Frank D. Gilroy * GIG, a character in ''Hot Wheels AcceleRacers'' ...

'' (1992) * ''

Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities ''Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities'' is the sixth studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks, released June 20, 1995 by Mercury Records. It is the band's last studio album to date. ''Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities'' ...

'' (1995)

With Bug Lamp

* "Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La)" on '' Gabba Gabba Hey: A Tribute to the Ramones'' (1991) * "El Dorado" on ''

Roadside Prophets ''Roadside Prophets'' is a 1992 American comedy film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arl ...

'' soundtrack (1992) * "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" on ''Welcome to Our Nightmare: A Tribute to Alice Cooper'' (1993)

With Midget Handjob

* ''

Midnight Snack Break at the Poodle Factory ''Midnight Snack Break at the Poodle Factory'' is the only album by Punk jazz supergroup Midget Handjob, formed by former Black Flag and Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris. Stylistically, the album combines elements of hardcore punk, jazz, and spok ...

'' (2000)

With Off!

* ''1st EP'' (2010) * ''

First Four EPs ''First Four EPs'' is the debut studio album by the band Off! which features former Black Flag and Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris. The four 7-inch EP vinyl box set collection was released on December 14, 2010, by Vice Records, the CD version ...

'' (2010) * "Compared to What" (2011) * ''Live at Generation Records'' (2011) * '' Sugar Daddy Live Split Series Vol. 3'' (split with the Taylor's) (2012) * ''

'' (2012) * ''

The Music of Grand Theft Auto V The music for the 2013 action-adventure video game ''Grand Theft Auto V'', developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games, was composed by The Alchemist, Oh No and Tangerine Dream in collaboration with Woody Jackson. The game is the f ...

'' ("What's Next) (2013) * ''Live at 9:30 Club'' (2013) * ''

Wasted Years "Wasted Years" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is the band's fourteenth single released and the first from their sixth studio album, '' Somewhere in Time'' (1986). It is the only song on the album that features no synthes ...

'' (2014) * "Learn to Obey" (2014) * ''Live From the BBC'' (2015) * ''

'' ("Holier than Thou") (2021) * Free LSD (2022)

Guest appearances

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Keith 1955 births Living people American male singer-songwriters American punk rock singers People from Hermosa Beach, California American rock songwriters Hardcore punk musicians Black Flag (band) members Circle Jerks members Rollins Band members Off! members Singer-songwriters from California