Punk guitar legend East Bay Ray has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Ray’s diagnosis has been confirmed by the band, and they’ve eased fears that he’d be immediately hanging up either his LTD Hybrid-400 or Schecter S-1.
“Dead Kennedys management announced today that the band’s guitarist and founding member, East Bay Ray, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,” the band’s statement reads.
“Ray says he plans to continue performing and touring with Dead Kennedys for as long as his health allows, and expressed his appreciation to everyone for their continued support.”
The 67-year-old guitarist formed the Dead Kennedys in the summer of 1978, having launched an advert in The Recycler looking for recruits. During an initial eight-year run, the band became a pillar of American punk and helped cystalize a sound that is still inspiring bands today.
The architect of some of the West Coast’s most iconic guitar riffs, Ray is the only original member left in the group, which is set to embark on an eight-date US tour next month.
Speaking to Guitar World last year, the guitarist said he felt the band hit their peak on their 1980 album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables – a record that heralded a new era of punk. He also revealed that plans to wind down the band’s activity were already in motion.
Fresh Fruit... was reissued in 2022, 42 years after its release, with Ray comparing his use of boundary-pushing tape delays to a galloping horse as he broke down the record’s magic with Guitar World.
Visit the Dead Kennedys website for a list of upcoming dates
