Dead Kennedys

Biography

Dead Kennedys is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1978 in San Francisco, famous for its satirical lyrics and fierce political engagement. Led by singer Jello Biafra and guitarist East Bay Ray, the band attacked the failings of American society with pitch black humor. Their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980), with tracks like Holiday in Cambodia and California Uber Alles, became a classic of the genre. The EP In God We Trust, Inc. (1981) pushed their sound toward faster, more abrasive hardcore. Despite legal battles and a 1986 breakup, the Dead Kennedys remain an essential reference point for protest punk and American counterculture, their provocations still resonating decades later.