Jello Biafra

Jello Biafra  developed an interest in international politics that was encouraged by his parents. He was an avid watcher of news and one of his earliest memories is of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Biafra says he has been a fan of rock music since first hearing it in 1965, when his parents accidentally tuned in to a rock radio station. During the 1970s, he became involved in activism in reaction to several events of the era including the Vietnam War, the Chicago 7 trial, and the Kent State shootings.

He began his career in music in January 1977 as a roadie for the punk rock band The Ravers (who would later change their name to The Nails). In the autumn of that year, he began attending the University of California, Santa Cruz.  He studied acting and the history of Paraguay before leaving to become involved in San Francisco, California’s punk scene.

Associated acts:

Dead Kennedys,The Melvins,No WTO Combo, D.O.A., Lard