A trailblazing pioneer in the North American punk scene, Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro has died at 63

by Mike Usinger on October 30th, 2022 at 10:37 AM

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Dead Kennedys drummer and North American punk rock legend D.H. Peligro has died from a head wound after a fall in his Los Angeles home. He was 63.

On Instagram his bandmates wrote “Dead Kennedys’ drummer D.H. Peligro (Darren Henley) passed away in his Los Angeles home yesterday, October 28th. Police on the scene stated that he died from trauma to the head caused by an accidental fall.”

Peligro joined the Dead Kennedys after their debut album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables. He would go one to play on the albums which made the DK’s one of the biggest acts on the first wave North American punk scene, including Plastic Surgery Disasters and Frankenchrist.

Peligro would join the band’s East Bay Ray and Klaus Flouride after they began playing together again following an ugly split with singer Jello Biafra.

The Dead Kennedys had deep ties to Vancouver thanks to the group’s friendship with West Coast legends like D.O.A. and the Subhumans. Both those Vancouver acts would appear on the infamous Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation released by the Biafra-run label Alternative Tentacles.

Peligro was one of those rare punk drummers who hit hard but also swung, with groove just as important to him as power. Born in St. Louis, he began playing drums as a kid, eventually falling in love with rock acts like Black Sabbath and KISS. After moving to San Francisco he joined SSI, eventually catching the eye of Biafra who enlisted him following the departure of original drummer Bruce Slesinger in 1981.

Peligro was briefly a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, contributing to songs that ended up on the band’s 1989 breakthrough Mother’s Milk.

In recent years, in addition to touring with the reunited Biafra-less D.K.s, the drummer has collaborated with Moby, played with projects including the Hellions and the legendary Roky Erickson band Aliens.

He also released three album with his own band Peligro.

One of the first African American musicians to break down colour barriers in the North American punk scene, he also appeared in the 2003 documentary Afro-Punk.

Here’s what his peers are saying about him.