(1958-06-17) June 17, 1958 (age 65) Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
Genres
Punk rock
spoken word
hardcore punk
Occupations
Singer
speaker
politician
Years active
1976–present
Labels
Alternative Tentacles
Member of
Lard
Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine
Formerly of
Dead Kennedys
Witch Trials
Tumor Circus
No WTO Combo
Musical artist
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.[1]
Initially active from 1979 to 1986, Dead Kennedys were known for rapid-fire music topped with Biafra's sardonic lyrics and biting social commentary, delivered in his "unique quiver of a voice".[2] When the band broke up in 1986, he took over the influential independent record label Alternative Tentacles, which he had founded in 1979 with Dead Kennedys bandmate East Bay Ray. In a 2000 lawsuit, upheld on appeal in 2003 by the California Supreme Court, Biafra was found liable for breach of contract, fraud, and malice in withholding a decade's worth of royalties from his former bandmates and ordered to pay over $200,000 in compensation and punitive damages; the band subsequently reformed without Biafra.[3] Although now focused primarily on spoken word performances, Biafra has continued as a musician in numerous collaborations. He has also occasionally appeared in cameo roles in films.
Politically, Biafra is a member of the Green Party of the United States[4] and supports various political causes. He ran for the party's presidential nomination in the 2000 presidential election, finishing a distant second to Ralph Nader.[5] In 1979 he ran for mayor of San Francisco, California. He is a supporter of a free society and utilizes shock value and advocates direct action and pranksterism in the name of political causes.[4] Biafra uses absurdist media tactics, in the leftist tradition of the Yippies, to highlight issues of civil rights and social justice.
^Vaziri, Aidin (December 18, 2023). "Dead Kennedys' punk classic 'Fresh Fruit' achieves gold status after 43 years". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 22, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
^Young, Jon. "Dead Kennedys". TrouserPress.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
^"Biafra Drops Suit Against Ex-Bandmates". Billboard. July 13, 2004. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018., Billboard, 2004
^ abBiafra, Jello (Spring 2000). "Jello Biafra for President". Synthesis/Regeneration (22). Retrieved July 13, 2021 – via greens.org.
^"Global Green Party History Chronology – 2000". Global Greens. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2012. With 295 votes, Nader received 92% of the convention total, followed by ten votes each for Jello Biafra and Stephen Gaskin
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as JelloBiafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the...
punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Initially consisting of JelloBiafra (lead vocals), East Bay Ray (guitar), 6025 (guitar) Klaus Flouride (bass)...
discography of releases by the hardcore punk musician and spoken word artist JelloBiafra: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - September 1980 Plastic Surgery...
Lustmord for Pigs of the Roman Empire and with Dead Kennedys singer JelloBiafra for Never Breathe What You Can't See and Sieg Howdy! released in 2004...
May 7, 1994, an incident occurred in which former Dead Kennedys singer JelloBiafra was assaulted and injured. A group of rough slam dancers in the pit had...
Kingdom, and I.R.S. Records in the United States. It was later issued by JelloBiafra's own Alternative Tentacles label in the United States. It is the only...
Job and Shove It." All tracks are written by JelloBiafra, except when stated Dead Kennedys JelloBiafra - lead vocals, producer, mixer East Bay Ray -...
Stripes of Corruption" for its exegesis of vocalist JelloBiafra's political philosophies. Biafra said, "One of the main focal points of Frankenchrist...
JelloBiafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine is a punk rock band led by JelloBiafra. They released their debut album, The Audacity of Hype in October...
Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray and vocalist JelloBiafra formed Alternative Tentacles, but Biafra became the sole owner in the mid-1980s. Alternative...
feature drummer D.H. Peligro, and is frontman JelloBiafra's favorite Dead Kennedys album. According to JelloBiafra, the main musical influences for the album...
collaborative studio album by JelloBiafra and Mojo Nixon, backed by Nixon's backing band the Toadliquors. Released in 1994 by Biafra's record label Alternative...
intro, as well as an extended bridge and guitar solo. In October 1998, JelloBiafra was sued by three former members of Dead Kennedys, who claimed that they...
is an album recorded by JelloBiafra with the Canadian punk band Nomeansno. The project came about after Nomeansno and Biafra had collaborated (on the...
City Newspaper of Rochester, when asked about his collaboration with JelloBiafra on two albums, Osborne stated that "I don't relate at all to his politics...
Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors is a punk album by JelloBiafra of Dead Kennedys and Canadian band D.O.A., released in 1990. It is notable for "Full...
Kennedys. His guitar work was influenced by jazz and rockabilly. Alongside JelloBiafra's astute lyrics and unique vibrato-based vocal style, East Bay Ray's playing...
of his 1995 Greatest Hits album on the Alternative Tentacles label. JelloBiafra compiled the album's track list. In addition to a large body of solo...
Become the Media is the sixth spoken word album by JelloBiafra. Topics covered include the WTO Meeting of 1999, the 2000 presidential election, the Green...
band Dead Kennedys. It was released in June 1987 through front man JelloBiafra's record label Alternative Tentacles. The image on its album cover is...
Hedersleben opening for Nik Turner on tour in 2013, 2014, and 2015. JelloBiafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, was founded in 2009 by the former...
The Audacity of Hype is an album released on October 20, 2009 by JelloBiafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine on Alternative Tentacles. The name...
started by Krist Novoselic (former Nirvana bassist). The band consisted of JelloBiafra (former frontman of Dead Kennedys); guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden;...
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