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Dennes Dale Boon (April 1, 1958 – December 22, 1985), also known as D. Boon, was an American musician, best known as the
guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...
,
singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
and
songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
of the
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
trio
Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Min ...
(formed by previous members of
the Reactionaries The Reactionaries were an American punk rock band formed in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, in 1978. The band's continual members were lead vocalist Martin Tamburovich, guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley. The R ...
). He was born on April 1, 1958, in San Pedro, California, and formed Minutemen in 1980 with bassist
Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ca ...
and drummer
George Hurley George Hurley (born September 4, 1958) is a drummer noted for his work with Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Music career Early years Originally from the East Coast, Hurley and his family moved to San Pedro, California, when he was six years old. ...
. Minutemen were known for their politically-charged lyrics and energetic, fast-paced music, and they released several influential records during their career. Boon died in an automobile accident on December 22, 1985, at the age of 27. Despite his early death, Boon's contributions to
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
and
independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a DIY ethic, do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties aff ...
have been widely recognized. He is remembered as an important figure in the history of these genres.


Biography


Early years

Dennes Dale Boon was born in
San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...
, on April 1, 1958.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 419-420 His father, a navy veteran, worked installing radios in
Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...
cars, and the Boons lived in former
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
barracks that had been converted into public housing. According to childhood friend and future bandmate
Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ca ...
, Boon was unfamiliar with popular music and had grown up listening to
Buck Owens Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the frontman for The Buckaroos, which had 21 No. 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music chart. He pioneered what came ...
and
Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival, commonly abbreviated as CCR or simply Creedence, was an American Rock music, rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, h ...
. Watt introduced Boon to
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island, New York, in the hamlet of Stony Brook, in 1967. They have sold 25 million records worldwide, including 7 million in the United States. ...
and
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
. Urged by Boon's mother, Boon and Watt began to learn to play instruments. Boon's mother taught D. to play the guitar and suggested Watt learn to play bass. They learned to play by copying songs from their favorite bands' records. Boon took a few lessons from local teacher Roy Mendez Lopez who taught him rock as well as flamenco and classical. As a teenager, Boon began painting and signed his works "D. Boon", partly because "D" was his slang for
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
, partly after
Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...
, but mostly because it was similar to E. Bloom, Blue Öyster Cult's vocalist and guitarist.


The Reactionaries

Boon formed his first band,
the Reactionaries The Reactionaries were an American punk rock band formed in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, in 1978. The band's continual members were lead vocalist Martin Tamburovich, guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley. The R ...
, with Watt in 1978. The band's members were lead vocalist
Martin Tamburovich Martin Tamburovich (June 6, 1958 – December 2, 2003) was the co-founder of New Alliance Records and vocalist for the short-lived punk/ new wave band The Reactionaries. Tamburovich, along with his San Pedro High School classmates D. Boon, Mike ...
, Boon on guitar, bassist Watt, and drummer
George Hurley George Hurley (born September 4, 1958) is a drummer noted for his work with Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Music career Early years Originally from the East Coast, Hurley and his family moved to San Pedro, California, when he was six years old. ...
. The Reactionaries existed for most of 1978 and 1979, practicing regularly but rarely if ever performing live. After only seven months, Boon and Watt broke the band up feeling that the traditional
frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
-style band was "
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and Aristocracy (class), aristocracy. They are tradition ...
".


Minutemen

Boon formed Minutemen in January 1980 with former Reactionaries Mike Watt on bass and Frank Tonche on drums. Tonche was soon replaced by former Reactionaries drummer
George Hurley George Hurley (born September 4, 1958) is a drummer noted for his work with Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Music career Early years Originally from the East Coast, Hurley and his family moved to San Pedro, California, when he was six years old. ...
. Their best-known album is ''
Double Nickels on the Dime ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the SST Records in July 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' combines elements of punk rock, funk, country, spok ...
,'' an album that in 2012 was listed at number 77 by
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
on their list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". Their first live gig was as an opening band for Black Flag, and released records for labels such as
SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold elec ...
,
New Alliance Records New Alliance Records was an independent record label founded by American musicians D. Boon and Mike Watt (of The Minutemen) and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich. They were inspired by the example of their friends in southern Cali ...
, and
Enigma Records Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. History Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...
. The band would come to an abrupt end with Boon's death, but have left a lasting impact on the punk scene. They were described by
Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...
as "provocative art-punk minimalists", having been inspired by punk and rock bands such as
Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
,
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...
,
the Pop Group The Pop Group are an English rock band formed in Bristol in 1977 by vocalist Mark Stewart, guitarist John Waddington, bassist Simon Underwood, guitarist/saxophonist Gareth Sager, and drummer Bruce Smith. Their work in the late 1970s crossed ...
,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Richard Hell and the Voidoids were an American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1976 and fronted by Richard Hell, a former member of the Neon Boys, Television (band), Television and the Heartbreakers. History Kentucky-born Richard H ...
, and
Urinals A urinal (, ) is a sanitary plumbing fixture similar to a toilet, but for urination only. Urinals are often provided in men's public restrooms in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position. U ...
.


Death

Minutemen continued until December 22, 1985, when Boon was killed in a van accident in the Arizona desert on a desolate stretch of
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
, just west of the small town of Centennial.Rees, David (2005)
What Would D. Boon Do?
, ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
'', December 23, 2005, retrieved December 29, 2010
Because he had been sick with fever, Boon was lying down in the rear of the van without a seatbelt, while his longtime girlfriend Linda Kite drove. The van's rear axle broke and the van ran off the road. Boon was thrown out the back door of the van and died instantly from a broken neck.Segalstad, Eric & Hunter, Josh (2009) ''The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock and Roll'', North Atlantic Books, , p. 214, 217 He was 27 years old. Boon's death caused the band to immediately dissolve, though Watt and Hurley would form the band Firehose soon after. The live album ''
Ballot Result ''"Ballot Result"'' is a posthumous live album by Minutemen, released in 1987 by SST Records. Production Following ''3-Way Tie (For Last)'', Minutemen decided to do a live album entitled, ''Three Dudes, Six Sides, Half Studio, Half Live''. The ...
'' was released in 1987, two years after Boon's death.


Musical style

Boon's guitar sound is very distinctive: he rarely used distortion and frequently set the equalization on his amplifier so that only the treble frequencies were heard – the bass and mid range frequencies would be turned off completely. His favorite electric guitar was the
Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele (), is an electric guitar produced by Fender (company), Fender. Together with its sister model the Fender Esquire, Esquire, it was the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes ...
(he owned at least three), though he also used a
Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporati ...
or
Gibson ES-125 The Gibson ES-125 is an archtop, hollow body electric guitar model that was produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Model history Introduced in 1941 as the successor to the ES-100, the ES-125 was an entry-level archtop electric guitar. It had ...
or
Gibson Melody Maker The Gibson Melody Maker is an electric guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corporation. It has had many body shape variations since its conception in 1959. Model history Regular issue (1959–71) The original Gibson Melody Maker was first launch ...
at various points, and his preferred amplifier was a
Fender Twin Reverb The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characterist ...
. His style had a heavy influence from
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
, which was very different from other
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
bands in the 1980s. Boon's solos were often idiosyncratic and used odd rhythms or scales that were influenced by
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
or his early study of
classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...
.


Artwork

Boon is responsible for the writing and composition of Minutemen's most anthemic songs, in contrast to Watt's more abstract or
stream of consciousness In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. It is usually in the form of an interior monologue which ...
lyrics. Songs composed by Boon include "
This Ain't No Picnic ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the SST Records in July 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' combines elements of punk rock, funk, country, spoke ...
", "
Corona Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to: * Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star * Corona (beer), a Mexican beer * Corona, informal term for the coronavirus or disease responsible for the COVID-19 ...
", "The Price of Paradise", and "Courage". A lifelong visual artist, Boon also created drawings or paintings for the Minutemen releases ''
Joy Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitu ...
'', ''
The Punch Line ''The Punch Line'' is the debut studio album and third overall release by American punk rock band Minutemen, and the fourth-ever release from SST Records. After their previous release, ''Paranoid Time'', sold out its 300-copy pressing, Greg Ginn ...
'', ''
The Politics of Time ''The Politics of Time'' is the first compilation album by American hardcore punk band The Minutemen (band), Minutemen, released in 1984 through New Alliance Records. Released in between their ''Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat'' 12-inch ...
'', '' Project: Mersh'' and ''
3-Way Tie (For Last) ''3-Way Tie (For Last)'' is the fourth and final full-length album by American punk band Minutemen, released in 1985 by SST Records. It features covers of songs by the Urinals, Meat Puppets, Blue Öyster Cult, Creedence Clearwater Revival, an ...
''.


Legacy

Since the first Firehose album, Mike Watt has dedicated every record he has worked on – be it Firehose, solo, or otherwise – to D. Boon's memory. A song on Watt's semi-autobiographical 1997 album '' Contemplating the Engine Room,'' "The Boilerman", is about D. Boon; on the recording itself, guitarist
Nels Cline Nels Courtney Cline (born January 4, 1956) is an American guitarist and composer. He has been a guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004. In the 1980s he played jazz, often in collaboration with his twin brother Alex, a percussionist. He has wor ...
plays one of Boon's last Telecaster guitars, which Watt is in possession of. Watt also mentions his fallen friend in Firehose's "Disciples of the 3-Way" (''
Mr. Machinery Operator ''Mr. Machinery Operator'' is the fifth and final studio album by the American alternative rock band Firehose. It is also their second album to be released on the major label, Columbia Records. Reception ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the album ...
'') and his own "Burstedman" ('' The Secondman's Middle Stand''). Boon has been paid tribute by American alternative band Stigmata-A-Go-Go with the song "D. Boon", from its 1994 album ''It's All True,''
Uncle Tupelo Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend ...
with a different song "D. Boon" from its 1991 album '' Still Feel Gone,'' and
Centro-matic Centro-matic was an American band based in Denton, Texas. History Centro-matic started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded ...
's song "D.Boon-Free (A Ninth Grade Crime)" off ''The Static vs. The Strings Vol. 1''. His story is also told in the documentary '' We Jam Econo''. In 2003, former D. Boon roommate Richard Derrick released the CD '' D. Boon and Friends,'' a collection of jam session tapes he recorded with D. Boon, and rare Boon solo performances, as the first release on his Box-O-Plenty Records label. Mike Watt authorized the release and provided technical assistance and liner notes. He is #89 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''s list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time: David Fricke's Picks. In his review of the band's last album, music critic
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
described the death of Boon as "a rock death that for wasted potential has Lennon and Hendrix for company", adding that "after seven fairly amazing years he was just getting started. Shit, shit, shit."


Discography

*'' D. Boon and Friends''


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boon, D. Minutemen (band) members American punk rock singers American punk rock guitarists Songwriters from California 1958 births 1985 deaths American lead guitarists Road incident deaths in Arizona The Reactionaries members 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists People from San Pedro, Los Angeles Guitarists from California American male guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters 20th-century American songwriters