Formation and early years (1976–1985) The band's origins date to 1976, when the members first came together as a
jazz fusion band called
Mind Power, The group included lead guitarist
Dr. Know (Gary Miller), bassist
Darryl Jenifer, and brothers Paul Hudson (later known as
H.R.) on rhythm guitar and
Earl Hudson on drums. In 1977, the band's then-singer
Sid McCray introduced them to
punk rock. The band gained a fan base in Washington D.C. due to their high-energy performances and occasional reggae songs. In 1979, they were blacklisted from many Washington area clubs due to their destructive fans; this was later addressed in their song "Banned in D.C.". Around 1980, the band relocated to New York City, where they would serve as a catalyst for that city's then-burgeoning
hardcore scene. , Washington, D.C., 1983 By 1982, they were a regular act at the New York venue
CBGB. Dr. Know recalled, "We played CB's every friggin' night. This whole 'Sunday matinee' thing is from us. When we first played, nobody was there. It's like, 'Who are these niggers?' And we're in their face, killing it. We got a weekend day, and by then a little buzz started happening." Their
self-titled debut album was released on the
ROIR label, originally on cassette only, in 1982, followed in 1983 by
Rock for Light, produced by
Ric Ocasek of
The Cars. In 1985, the Bad Brains song "
Pay to Cum" was featured in
Martin Scorsese's film
After Hours.
Stylistic expansion and lineup changes (1986–1994) In 1986, Bad Brains signed with
SST Records and released
I Against I. In addition to the band's hardcore punk and reggae sounds, this album added elements from
heavy metal and
funk. H.R. provided the vocals for the song "Sacred Love" over the phone from the
Lorton Reformatory while serving time for a cannabis charge. H.R. gained additional critical notice for his expanded vocal style on
I Against I; according to Rick Anderson of
AllMusic, "[HR] digs deep into his bag of voices and pulls them all out, one by one: the frightening nasal
falsetto that was his signature in the band's hardcore days, an almost
bel canto baritone, and a declamatory speed-rap chatter that spews lyrics with the mechanical precision of a machine gun". The album was recorded with Singleton and Jayson, but the Hudson brothers returned to the band in 1989 and H.R. replaced Singleton's work with new lyrics and vocals. Released in September of that year,
Quickness saw Bad Brains expand their sound from that of
I Against I, and has also been recognized as one of the early
groove metal albums. During this period, the Hudson brothers, who wanted to steer the band toward reggae, often clashed with Dr. Know and Jenifer, who were increasingly interested in hard rock and heavy metal. and was then replaced by Israel Joseph I (Dexter Pinto). As bands influenced by Bad Brains (such as
Living Colour and
Fishbone) enjoyed commercial success,
Epic Records approached Dr. Know in 1992 and offered the band their first major-label record deal. The album
Rise was released by Epic in 1993. Jayson left the band in the middle of the ensuing tour and was temporarily replaced by
Chuck Treece.
Original lineup reunions and name change (1994–2004) The Hudson brothers again returned to the band in 1994, In support of the album, Bad Brains opened for the
Beastie Boys on their
Ill Communication tour, and headlined a U.S. tour with a then-unknown
Deftones. However, the reunion did not last for long, because of H.R.'s erratic behavior while performing and several violent incidents against the band's manager, fans, and venue employees. H.R. landed in jail and the band broke up once again. In 1997 Bad Brains reconvened to remaster some early recordings, which were released as the EP
The Omega Sessions. From 1998 to 2001, the original lineup toured under the name
Soul Brains and released a live album.
Build a Nation and Into the Future (2005–2015) In 2005, the band, known once again as Bad Brains, announced that they were recording their first album of new material in ten years, with
MCA of the
Beastie Boys producing. They played their first shows in several years at
CBGB in 2006. The band toured extensively in 2007–2008, with former singer Israel Joseph I filling in for H.R. on some dates. Daryl Jenifer released the solo album
In Search of Black Judas in 2010. A short Bad Brains tour of Australia planned for 2010 was cancelled for health reasons. Bad Brains announced the recording of another new album in 2011.
Into the Future was released in late 2012, and included a tribute to the recently deceased MCA. On the ensuing tour, the band added touring keyboardist
Jamie Saft. In 2014, the band hinted at another new album, though no such album has been released. Also in 2014, author Greg Prato released the book
Punk! Hardcore! Reggae! PMA! Bad Brains! which recounted the band's history. In 2015 the band recorded the live EP
The Woodstock Sessions; H.R. did not participate for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Jamaican singer Jesse Royal. H.R.'s status at the band remained unclear throughout that year.
Recent developments (2015–present) In November 2015, Dr. Know suffered a heart attack and was placed on life support due to the risk of organ failure. After three months in the hospital he made a full recovery, thanks in part to a
GoFundMe campaign organized by his bandmates. In March 2016, H.R. announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare type of headache called
SUNCT, and received treatment for this condition and other ongoing health issues thanks to another GoFundMe campaign. In October 2016, Bad Brains were nominated for the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but were not inducted. In a December 2016 interview with
Rolling Stone, Dr. Know and Darryl Jenifer discussed the band members' health issues and the future of the band. They announced that they hoped to record a new album titled
Mind Power, after the band's short-lived original moniker. In June 2017, the band played a show featuring guest appearances by
Lamb of God's
Randy Blythe and original Bad Brains singer Sid McCray, who sang with the band for the first time in 39 years. Former singer Chuck Mosley died in November 2017. ==Legacy==