Death

Biography

The East Detroit-based proto-punk outfit Death formed in 1973 around the talents of siblings David, Bobby, and Dannis Hackney. The brothers, who had spent previous summers banging out soul and funk jams, began to gravitate toward the deafening assault of bands like Black Sabbath, MC5, Alice Cooper, and the Stooges, resulting in a volatile live set and demo that found favor with Detroit's burgeoning underground rock scene. Producer Don Davis (Funkadelic) was called in to helm the band's debut studio sessions, which unearthed a raw, nervy collection of classic rock-tinged, politically charged punk singles. The songs eventually caught the ear of Columbia Records guru Clive Davis, who wanted to change the band's name to something more forgiving than Death. David refused to budge, causing a rift in the group that led to all three siblings retreating to New England to stay with their half brother. What was initially devised as a brief getaway turned into decades, and the brothers went their separate ways. In 2009 Drag City released For the Whole World to See, which collected all seven of the band's singles. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide