Happy 62nd birthday to a hardcore punk icon...Jello Biafra.
Born Eric Reed Boucher in Denver Colorado, the son of a librarian and a physchiatric social worker, Eric devided not to follow his guidance counselor suggested career path of dental hygienist and became a roadie for a band called The Ravers (later to be renamed The Nails, Remember the song "88 Lines About 44 Women"?)
He later moved to California and answered an ad about "starting a punk band" with East Bay Ray....the Dead Kennedys were formed.
In 1979 he ran for mayor of San Franciso and finished 3rd, getting nearly 4% of the vote.
Biafra stayed in the band until 1986 and concurrently had a difficult time running his record lable Alternativ Tentacles.
Most recently he has done many spoken word appearances and has recording and performed with his most recent band jello Biafra and the Guantanemo School of Medicine.
I have interviewed Biafra a couple of times and found him to be extremly intellegent and focused...while still being able to laugh at the obsurdity of poltics and the music industry.
The Backstage Pass below was from a hugely memorable consider from NYE 1983 whhich i attended...as a very young child of course..