Dead Kennedys Guitarist East Bay Ray Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease
East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedys performs at St Andrews Hall on June 24, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. Scott Legato/Getty Images
Dead Kennedys guitarist and founding member East Bay Ray has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the band announced Tuesday (Sept. 22).
“Ray says he plans to continue performing and touring with Dead Kennedys for as long as his health allows, and expresses his appreciation to everyone for their continued support,” the band’s management said in a statement posted to the group’s Instagram account.
Ray, born Raymond Pepperell, co-founded Dead Kennedys in San Francisco in 1978 and has remained the band’s sole constant member since its formation. He’s known for the distinctive guitar work that helped define the group’s sound, which blended punk with elements of surf rock and other influences. The band’s influential catalog includes songs such as “Holiday in Cambodia,” “California Über Alles” and “Kill the Poor,” as well as their 1980 debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
Despite the diagnosis, Dead Kennedys’ touring plans currently remain in place. The band is scheduled to return to the stage Oct. 6 at The Showbox in Seattle, followed by a performance Oct. 7 at Portland’s Roseland Theater. The group will then play San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom on Oct. 9 with Flipper and The Avengers, before wrapping their scheduled run Oct. 11 at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, California.
The group once disbanded back in 1986 before later reuniting in 2001, with Ray among the founding members who returned to the stage.
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