DEAD Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray has vowed to play on for as long as he can after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
The American punk pioneers confirmed founding member Ray, 67 – real name Raymond John Pepperell – is battling the progressive brain disorder in a social media post, shared on Tuesday.
Sharing a photo of the legendary musician in his youth on the band’s official Instagram platform, they wrote: “Dead Kennedys management announced today that the band’s guitarist and founding member, East Bay Ray, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“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 account has since been flooded with messages from fans of the band, with one commenting: “Sending lots of love to Ray. He’s one of the smartest musicians to ever be. It won’t stop him that easy.”
A second added: “Holy sh*t man, sending love and strength! It was amazing to see you a few weeks ago at the Belasco. Continue to rock, as much as and however you can! You are a legend!”
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Elsewhere, a third wrote: “Sending so much love and support to him and his family from me and mine. My stepdad has parkinsons, we went to see DK live in Melbourne last year (his favourite band) and had a really special bonding moment.
“It’s a terrible disease with many challenges to face, but the treatments are getting better all the time and I know he will have a huge support system around him for the bad days.”
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects movement and balance. Early symptoms include persistent tremors, muscle stiffness and postural instability.
To date there is no cure for the condition.
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Dead Kennedys formed in San Francisco in 1978 after Ray placed a newspaper advertisement for fellow musicians with the aim of forming a band.
The original lineup – featuring Ray, lead vocalist Jello Biafra, bass guitarist Klaus Fluoride, rhythm guitarist 6025 and drummer Ted, released debut album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables to critical acclaim in 1980.
They broke up six years later following the release of fourth and final album Bedtime For Democracy in 1986, but would reform as a touring band in 2001.
Ron ‘Skip’ Greer replaced Biafra as thew band’s lead vocalist in 2008, with Steve Wilson replacing D.H. Peligro – the band’s second drummer – following his death in 2022.
Ray will continue performing with his bandmates as they work their way through a series of shows along America’s west coast.
Key dates include performances at Seattle venue Showbox on October 6 and Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, California on October 11.
His Parkinson’s diagnosis comes just four months after original vocalist Biafra confirmed he had suffered a stroke.
A May 2 post on Biafra’s official Facebook account revealed he was ‘progressing nicely’ as his ‘speech has mostly come back in full, and cognitively, it’s like the stroke never happened.
It continued: ‘The left side is still weak but it is doing much better than it was.’