- D.H. Peligro was a drummer who played for The Dead Kennedys and other bands.
- He passed away at the age of 63 on Oct. 28.
- His death was announced by The Dead Kennedys on Instagram.
D.H. Peligro, the drummer for The Dead Kennedys, died at the age of 63 on Oct. 28. The band announced the sad news on Instagram and revealed his passing took place in his Los Angeles, CA home. They also included a smiling black and white photo of him behind his drum set.
“Dead Kennedys’ drummer D.H. Peligro (Darren Henley) passed away in his Los Angeles home yesterday, October 28th,” the statement read. “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.’s cause of death has yet to be released but according to TMZ, he was found dead in his home’s bathroom and had hit his head. It’s unclear if the injury was fatal.
Find out more about D.H. and his work as a professional musician below.
When did D.H. start playing with The Dead Kennedys?
He joined the band in 1981 when he replaced their original drummer, Ted. He went on to record his debut with the band on the EP, In God We Trust, Inc., which was released in Dec. 1981. The EP led to many studio albums, including Plastic Surgery Disasters, Frankenchrist, and Bedtime for Democracy, and the singles/rarities collection, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death, before the band broke up in 1986.
They went on to reunite in 2001 and faced a series of changes in band members but D.H. remained with them. He took a break from touring in 2008 but returned to play and perform with the band the following year, and stayed until his death in 2022.
What other bands did D.H. play for?
D.H., whose birth name was Darren Henley, had played for a number of other bands, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He replaced drummer Jack Irons from the Chili Peppers in 1988 after being friends with the band for years. He even once had a comedy band with singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea. After he played with the band for a while that year and helped write songs on their album, Mother’s Milk, the band fired him due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol in Nov. 1988.
Other bands he briefly played with over the years include The Hellations, Jungle Studs, Nailbomb, The Feederz, Lock-Up, The Two Free Stooges, SSI, and more.
D.H. had his own band at one point in his career.
The band, called Peligro, released three albums, including a self-titled album in 1995, Welcome to America in 2000, and Sum of Our Surroundings in 2004. The last album won Rock Album of the Year at the American Independent Music Awards.
He once worked with Moby.
D.H. teamed up with the legendary musician for the song “Power Is Taken” and it was included on Moby’s 2020 album All Visible Objects.
He had a beloved dog named Harry.
D.H. often took to Instagram to share memorable people and moments in his life and his dog, Harry, was included in a lot of them. He called the pooch his “best friend” in one post and in May, he shared a cute video of them taking a walk together.