Dead Kennedys guitarist and founding member Raymond “East Bay Ray” Pepperell has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the band’s management announced Tuesday.
“Ray says he plans to continue performing and touring with Dead Kennedys for as long as his health allows, and expressed his appreciation to everyone for their continued support,” the San Francisco punk band said in an Instagram post.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages dopamine-producing neurons, according to Parkinson’s Foundation. The disease is marked by symptoms including tremor, stiffness, slow movement, gait and balance problems. Non-motor symptoms include depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, constipation, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disorders, loss of sense of smell, and cognitive impairments. The cause is unknown and there is no cure.
The band has released four studio albums, with tracks including “Holiday in Cambodia,” “California Über Alles,” “Kill the Poor” and “Soup Is Good Food.”
It has been a very difficult few years for the Dead Kennedys. Drummer D.H. Peligro died Oct. 28, 2022. In May 2023, the Los Angeles medical examiner determined the cause to be the effects of fentanyl and heroin. His death was ruled an accident.
Original Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on March 7 and was hospitalized, his label announced in an Instagram post. Biafra was a member of the group from 1978 until their 1986 breakup. He declined to rejoin the band when it reformed in 2001. The artist returned to the stage on June 27 for Tentacle Fest in San Francisco, joining band Wheelchair Sports Camp for their song “Make It Make Sense,” though “he still has a ways to go in terms of his recovery,” Biafra’s partner Anne-Marie Anderson said in a statement to Stereogum.
