Dr. Know (b. Gary Miller), a former jazz fusion guitarist, formed Bad Brains in 1979, inspired by both the amateurish rage of the Sex Pistols and the political reggae of Bob Marley. Realizing that the lines between punk and reggae were already blurred in the U.K., he set out to replicate that situation in the U.S., and he recruited several similarly minded musicians -- vocalist H.R. (b. Paul D. Hudson), bassist Darryl Aaron Jenifer, and drummer Earl Hudson -- to prove his point. Bad Brains quickly became one of the most popular punk bands on the East Coast, particularly in their hometown of Washington, D.C. Their live performances were legendary, but their recordings were difficult to find. Their debut single "Pay to Cum" was pressed in limited numbers, and their 1982 debut album was only issued in cassette form by ROIR. In addition to the Bad Brains tape, the group released a handful of other EPs in 1982, finally moving to PVC for 1983's full-length debut Rock for Light, which was produced by Ric Ocasek. Docs latest project is with Mos Def in Black Jack Johnson... and will also be releasing two side projects (Blackguard and 40Hz.) on FKM Records in spring 2005! More recently, I started FKM Records with Danny Ilchuk and Mike Boom..... we're looking for new acts to sign. Check out our site for updates, tour info and forums (you never know who or what you'll find!) www.fkmrecords.com
