Dead Kennedys founding guitarist East Bay Ray has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The band’s management announced the news on 22 September. Ray, 67, said he plans to continue performing and touring for as long as his health allows, and thanked everyone for their support.
Ray formed Dead Kennedys in San Francisco in 1978 and has remained the band’s one constant member. His guitar work gave those records a language of their own: surf-rock runs, sharp open chords and echo-heavy lines sitting inside songs that still moved at hardcore speed.
He played on every Dead Kennedys studio recording. He also helped produce and mix several of the releases that established the band, including the first ‘California Über Alles’ single, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables and In God We Trust, Inc.
Dead Kennedys have not announced any change to their touring plans. Ray’s statement only says that he will continue while his health permits it.
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