The punk rock musician and drummer Darren “D.H. Peligro” Henley has passed away at the age of 63, NME reports. The drummer was most well known as the drummer for the San Francisco-based punk rock band Dead Kennedys, as well as briefly performing for the legendary LA rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The Dead Kennedys took to Instagram on October 29 to give the tragic news to fans, explaining that “Dead Kennedys’ drummer D.H. Peligro (Darren Henley) passed away in his Los Angeles home yesterday, October 28th.”
The statement goes on to give preliminary details relating to the cause of death: “Police on the scene stated that he died from trauma to the head caused by an accidental fall. Arrangements are pending and will be announced in the coming days. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your thoughts and words of comfort.”
D.H. Peligro joined the Dead Kennedy’s, the band he would become primarily associated with, in 1981, replacing previous drummer Bruce “Ted” Slesinger. Peligro remained with the band until its initial breakup in 1986, after which he joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers, remaining with the rock band for under a year. He rejoined Dead Kennedys in 2001 and continued to play with them throughout the 2000’s, while also beginning a brief solo-career, concluding with his 2004 project sum of our surroundings.
While Peligro has remained most closely tied with the Kennedys, multiple members of the Chili Peppers were quick to express their own sense of grief at the passing of the prolific musician, with bassist Flea tweeting out “DH Peligro forever and ever. The funnest, kindest and the rockingest. My dear brother I’m so grateful for our time I love you forever.”
Flea went on to give a longer eulogy to the musician on Instagram, writing:
“My dear friend, my brother I miss you so much. I’m devastated today, a river of tears, but all my life I will treasure every second. The first time I saw you play with the DK’s in ‘81 you blew my mind. The power, the soul, the recklessness. You became my beloved friend, so many times of every kind. We had so much fun, so much joy, having each other’s backs. I love you with all my heart. You are the truest rocker, and a crucial part of rhcp history. D H P in the place to be, you live forever in our hearts, you wild man, you bringer of joy, you giant hearted man. I will always honor you. Rest In Peace and freedom from all that restrained you.”
Read Flea’s eulogy to Peligro below.
Dead Kennedy’s former frontman Jello Biafra has recently been highly critical of the band’s recent activities, describing their reissue of Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables as weak.
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