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Death is an American musical group formed in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, Michigan, in 1971 by brothers Bobby (bass, vocals), David (guitar), and Dannis Hackney (drums, percussion). The trio initially started as a
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 ...
group but quickly switched their style to
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
after seeing concerts by
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 ...
and
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
. Music critic Peter Margasak retrospectively wrote that David "pushed the group in a hard-rock direction that presaged
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
, and while this certainly didn't help them find a following in the mid-70s, today it makes them look like visionaries" – David himself having been called "the visionary of the group". Publications such as ''
Gawker ''Gawker'' was an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers that was based in New York City and focused on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month in 2015. Fo ...
'' have named them as one of the first punk rock bands. The band broke up in 1977, but unexpected interest in their music resulted in independent record label Drag City releasing their unreleased recordings from 1975 in 2009, and the band reforming.


History


Formation (1964–1975)

In 1964, the three young Hackney brothers (David, Bobby and Dannis) watched
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' first appearance on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'' with their father. The following day, David found a discarded guitar in an alley and used it to start learning to play. Brothers Bobby and Dannis soon followed suit and they began playing music together. Later, the young trio purchased the best instruments that they could afford with the money that their mother won in a car accident settlement. The brothers practiced and recorded early demos in a room in the family home and performed their earliest gigs from their garage. Forming in 1971 and originally calling themselves Rock Fire Funk Express, guitarist David convinced his brothers to change the band's name to Death in 1973 after their father died in an accident. David wanted to change the meaning of the word: "His concept was spinning death from the negative to the positive. It was a hard sell", Bobby Hackney recalled in 2010. The name distinguished them from other all-black bands; their musical style, an innovation on an already evident musical approach in Detroit, further demarcated Death, "no doubt" the first all-black punk band.


Album recording and dissolution (1975–1977)

On February 18, 1975, Death recorded seven songs written by David and Bobby at Detroit's United Sound Studios with engineer Jim Vitti. According to the Hackney family,
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
president
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...
funded the recording sessions but implored the band to change its name to something more commercially palatable. When the Hackneys refused, Davis ceased his support. Bobby and Dannis were tentative about this decision, ultimately prioritizing the brotherly relationship. The band only recorded seven songs instead of the planned dozen. The following year they self-released a single taken from these sessions on their label Tryangle Records. The single "Politicians in My Eyes" b/w "Keep On Knocking" saw a run of only 500 copies. The Hackney brothers ended the band in 1977. The brothers then moved to
Burlington, Vermont Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...
, and released two albums of gospel rock as The 4th Movement in the early 1980s. David moved back to Detroit in 1982 and died of lung cancer in 2000. Bobby and Dannis still reside in Vermont and lead the
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
band Lambsbread. Dannis is currently the drummer for the Vermont-based rock/funk band The Aerolites.


Rediscovery and reformation (2009–present)

Copies of the "Politicians in My Eyes" 7", and the story of Death continued to circulate in collector's circles, with some copies selling for $800 due to their extreme rarity; one source of them was Don Schwenk, a friend of the Hackneys who was originally commissioned to create the album art for the upcoming LP, and was given a box of the singles in exchange. MP3s of the two songs from the single eventually found their way to Chunklet in 2008; around this time Bobby Hackney's son Julian moved to California and heard the Death songs after a recommendation of a roommate and immediately recognized his father's voice. Once the news of the discovery and the story of Death began to spread, it eventually reached
Drag City Records Drag City is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, established in the city in 1989 by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn. It specializes in indie rock, noise rock, psychedelic folk, alternative country, and experimental music. ...
, who contacted the Hackneys about the possible release of the album, who provided the label with the original master tape: In 2009, Drag City released all seven Death songs from their 1975 United Sound sessions on CD and LP under the title '' ...For the Whole World to See''. In the meantime, the sons of Bobby Hackney (Julian, Urian, and Bobby Jr.), wanting to get the word out more, started a band called Rough Francis (named after a nickname occasionally used by their uncle David), covering the songs of Death after discovering the old recordings online. A March 2009 article in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' by Mike Rubin, covering one of Rough Francis' live shows and the history of Death introduced the band to an even wider audience. The popularity eventually reached
Mickey Leigh Mitchel Lee Hyman (born July 15, 1954),Leigh 2009, p. 3. best known by his stage name Mickey Leigh, is an American musician and writer. He is the brother of Joey Ramone, lead vocalist of the punk rock band Ramones. Career Mickey Leigh formed his ...
, who invited both bands to play
Joey Ramone Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist and founding member of the punk rock band Ramones, with Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone. His ...
's birthday party. In September 2009, a reformed Death played three shows with original members Bobby and Dannis Hackney, with Lambsbread guitarist Bobbie Duncan taking the place of the late David Hackney. During a 2010 performance at the Boomslang Festival in Lexington, Kentucky, the band announced that Drag City would release a new album with demos and rough cuts that predate the 1975 sessions. The album ''
Spiritual • Mental • Physical ''Spiritual • Mental • Physical'' is a retrospective album by the Detroit proto-punk band Death consisting mainly of demo tracks recorded in their home rehearsal space between 1974–1976. Many of the songs on the set display a raw and sponta ...
'' was released in January 2011. In 2014, Death released their third studio album ''III,'' and in 2015 their most recent record, entitled ''N.E.W.'' was released.


Artistry

David was integral to the band's style, that of
mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...
and "eccentric spirituality".


Members

* Bobby Hackney, Sr. – vocals, bass (1964–1977, 2009–present) * Dannis Hackney – drums (1964–1977, 2009–present) * Julian Hackney – guitar (2023–present) * Urian Hackney – guitar (2023–present)


Past members

* David Hackney – guitars (1964–1977, died 2000) * Bobbie Duncan – guitars (2009–2023)


Timeline


Discography


As the 4th Movement

* ''The 4th Movement'' LP (released 1980 by Tryangle Records) * ''Totally'' LP (released 1982 by Tryangle Records)


As RockFire Funk Express

* "People Save the World" / "RockFire Funk Express" 7" single (recorded 1973, released 2013 by
Third Man Records Third Man Records is an eclectic, vinyl-focused independent record label founded and owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell, and Ben Swank. The company operates out of three locations—Nashville, Detroit, and Soho in London—with multiple entitie ...
)


As Death

* "Politicians in My Eyes" b/w "Keep On Knocking" 7" single (recorded 1975, released 1976 by Tryangle Records, reissued 2013 by
Drafthouse Films Drafthouse Films is an independent film distribution company based in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2010 by Tim League, who had previously founded the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain. Drafthouse has released a variety of films since its incepti ...
) * "Where Do We Go From Here" 7" single (recorded 1976, released 1980 by Tryangle Records) * '' ...For the Whole World to See'' (recorded 1975, released 2009 by Drag City) * ''
Spiritual • Mental • Physical ''Spiritual • Mental • Physical'' is a retrospective album by the Detroit proto-punk band Death consisting mainly of demo tracks recorded in their home rehearsal space between 1974–1976. Many of the songs on the set display a raw and sponta ...
'' (recorded 1974–76, released 2011 by Drag City) * "Relief" online single (released 2012 by CD Baby) * Raw demo recording of "Politicians in My Eyes" (recorded 1974, released 2013 online by Drafthouse Films) * ''III'' (recorded 1975–1992, released 2014 by Drag City) * ''N.E.W.'' (released 2015 by TryAngle Records) * "Cease Fire" (released 2017 by TryAngle Records) * "Give It Back" (released 2018 by TryAngle Records) * "Death / Rough Francis" split (released 2023 by Drag City)


Filmography

* '' A Band Called Death'' DVD/Blu-ray (2013, Drafthouse Films)


Popular culture

*In 2010, their song "Freakin' Out" was used in an episode of the sitcom ''
How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...
'' entitled "False Positive" (season 6, episode 12), as well as the ''
Ash vs. Evil Dead Ash is the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something combustion, burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, as ...
'' episode "The Killer of Killers" (season 1, episode 6). * The song “Politicians in My Eyes” was used in Season 7, Episode 5 ("Bottoms Up") of the HBO series ''
Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...
'' in 2010. *In 2011, their song "You're a Prisoner" was used in the film ''
Kill the Irishman ''Kill the Irishman'' is a 2011 American biographical crime film directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, and starring Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Christopher Walken, and Val Kilmer. Written by Hensleigh and Jeremy Walters, it is based on the ...
''. *An independent documentary film about the band titled '' A Band Called Death'', directed by Jeff Howlett and Mark Covino, was released in 2012. *The songs "Politicians in My Eyes" and "Keep On Knocking" were both featured in season 4, episode 13 of ''
Childrens Hospital ''Childrens Hospital'' (originally titled ''Children's Hospital'' as webisodes) is an American dark comedy television and web series that parodies the medical drama genre, created by and starring actor/comedian Rob Corddry. The series began o ...
'' in 2012. *In 2014, the band's song "Politicians in My Eyes" was featured in the surf documentary ''Strange Rumblings in Shangri-La''. *A version of "Where Do We Go from Here" with the vocals edited out is often used as
bumper music Bumper music, also known as a bump, is a radio broadcasting term for short clips of signature songs or theme music used to transition between different elements of a program. These clips typically last no longer than fifteen seconds. Bumper mus ...
during Wayne Resnick's Sunday night show on KFI AM 640. *In 2015, the band's song "Keep On Knocking" was featured as part of the '' Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5'' video game soundtrack. * The song “Politicians in My Eyes” was used in the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
of the Comedy Central series '' Detroiters'' in 2017. *In 2018, the band's song "Politicians in My Eyes" was featured as the theme song for season two of
Gimlet Media Gimlet Media LLC was a digital media company and podcast network, focused on producing narrative podcasts and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company was founded in 2014 by Alex Blumberg and Matthew Lieber, who served as the company's ...
's podcast ''
Crimetown ''Crimetown'' is a serial documentary podcast hosted by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier and produced by Gimlet Media which looks at how organized crime has shaped particular American cities. The first season started in 2016 and focused on th ...
''. * The song "Politicians in My Eyes" was featured in the 2019 movie '' Native Son''. The rare record single was also a plot point during the film. * The song "Freakin Out" was featured in the 2022 stop-motion horror comedy movie '' Wendell and Wild''. * "Keep On Knocking" was included in the soundtrack for the 2022 film, ''
Jackass Forever ''Jackass Forever'' (stylized as ''jackass fore♥er'') is a 2022 American reality slapstick comedy film directed and produced by Jeff Tremaine, along with producers Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville, and was released by Paramount Pictures. It i ...
''.


References


External links


Official website

"The Horn" Article about Death

PBS article about Death
March 7, 2025 {{DEFAULTSORT:Death (protopunk band) African-American punk rock musical groups African-American rock musical groups Garage rock groups from Michigan Family musical groups Musical groups disestablished in 1976 Musical groups established in 1971 Musical groups reestablished in 2009 Musical groups from Detroit American protopunk groups Punk rock groups from Michigan Sibling musical trios 1971 establishments in Michigan