Peligro, longtime drummer for the Dead Kennedys, dies at 63 - SFGATE

Oct. 30, 2022Updated: Oct. 30, 2022 5:19 p.m.

Dead Kennedys' drummer D.H. Peligro (Darren Henley) passed distant successful his Los Angeles location yesterday, Oct 28th. He died from trauma to his caput from an accidental fall. Arrangements are pending volition beryllium announced successful the coming days. Thank you for your thoughts and words of comfortableness pic.twitter.com/PC7sF87f6c

Born successful St. Louis, Missouri connected July 9, 1959, Peligro (Darren Henley) started drumming aboriginal connected successful his puerility and moved to San Francisco erstwhile helium was astir 15 years old. 

“By the clip I got there, I had 8 dollars successful my pocket,” helium told euphony writer Mark Prindle successful a 2004 interrogation for his website, Mark’s Music Reviews. “I crossed the Bay Bridge, got successful determination and boom. That’s wherever I lived successful a van connected Shipley St. adjacent Folsom betwixt 5th and 6th.” While there, helium met the members of S.S.I., the archetypal set helium would play in.

Peligro said that astatine the time, helium was influenced by a fig of pioneering punk and ska bands from San Francisco and Los Angeles, including the Offs, the Dils, the Plugz, X, and the Go-Gos, and often attended shows astatine the Deaf Club, a famed punk venue connected Valencia Street successful the precocious ‘70s. He likened S.S.I.’s bushed guitarist Paul to Joe Strummer from the Clash and described the dependable of the archetypal set helium played successful arsenic “very fast,” with “politically astute” lyrics. Jello Biafra, the frontman of the Dead Kennedys, took announcement of Peligro astatine S.S.I.’s unrecorded shows, but it was guitarist Raymond John Pepperell (East Bay Ray) who invited him to audition for the Dead Kennedys aft archetypal drummer Bruce “Ted” Slesinger discontinue to prosecute a vocation arsenic an architect. 

A photograph of the Dead Kennedys successful 1980. 

Anne Fishbein/Getty Images

“I ran into East Bay Ray down astatine the Mabuhay Garbage-Gardens… We utilized to telephone it the Mabuhay Garbage aft a while,” Peligro said to Prindle of the North Beach club. “And helium asked maine if I'd travel down and audition. I thought immediately, ‘Well, you cognize what? I'm not gonna get the gig. I'm Black, and cipher wants a Black drummer successful their band, adjacent though it is punk rock.’ …  That's decidedly what I thought. Because I'd seen each these different bands, and I played a batch of stone earlier that, but I deliberation I was 1 of the archetypal Black stone drummers. Or that's however it seemed to me."

The Red Hot Chili Peppers (L-R) Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Michael "Flea" Balzary, D.H. Peligro airs for a representation backstage astatine First Avenue nightclub successful Minneapolis, Minn. connected Nov. 16, 1988. 

Jim Steinfeldt/Getty Images

Later successful life, Peligro played guitar and sang successful his ain band, Peligro, successful summation to performing with Nailbomb and Jungle Studs. Prior to his death, it was announced that helium would prima successful the Los Angeles punk set OFF!’s 2023 sci-fi drama “Free LSD,” arsenic BrooklynVegan archetypal reported. 

“My beloved friend, my member I miss you truthful much,” Flea wrote successful a tribute to Peligro connected Instagram. “I’m devastated today, a stream of tears, but each my beingness I volition treasure each second. The archetypal clip I saw you play with the DK’s successful ‘81 you blew my mind. … You are the truest rocker, and a important portion of rhcp history.”

DH Peligro everlastingly and ever. The funnest, kindest and the rockingest. My beloved member I’m truthful grateful for our clip I emotion you forever.

East Bay Ray besides reshared the band’s archetypal connection connected Twitter with a little addition: “I americium sad.” 

Dave Lombardo, a drummer and co-founding subordinate of the iconic thrash metallic outfit Slayer, wrote that Peligro’s frenzied, hardcore benignant successful the Dead Kennedys’ aboriginal albums influenced however helium played successful his ain band. 

“Sending my deepest sympathies to his family, bandmates and each those affected by this tragic, untimely loss,” helium tweeted. “Rest peacefully.”

Lol Tolhurst, a founding subordinate and erstwhile drummer for the Cure, shared a photograph of Peligro, who helium called “a beauteous antheral and an awesome drummer.”  

So bittersweet to perceive astir the decease of D.H. Peligro. He was a beauteous antheral and an awesome drummer . My deepest condolences to his family, friends and each who knew him. May helium remainder successful Peace . pic.twitter.com/OYmpKijYuf

Chester B. Simpson
D.H. Peligro, long-time drummer for the legendary punk stone set Dead Kennedys, has died aft a autumn astatine his home. Here's the Dead Kennedy's Band backstage astatine the Mabuhay Gardens photographed connected duty for Rolling Stone Magazine successful 1981. pic.twitter.com/JVzmCy2SPk

DH Peligro. Drum hero. Super chill guy. I’ll ne'er hide the DKs gig I saw astatine 688 successful May ‘83 where, aft shredding his drums the full set, helium ended the amusement by diving implicit his kit consecutive into the assemblage successful a azygous leap. Fucking legend. Rest In Peace. #dhpeligro #deadkennedys pic.twitter.com/aYeXuH63ed

And Jon Wurster, the drummer of the 1990s DIY stone set Superchunk, shared a video of the Dead Kennedys playing successful San Francisco circa 1984 connected Twitter.

"D.H. Peligro has near the building," Wurster wrote. "One of the implicit greats."