Kevin Michael “GG” Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin; August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993) was an American punk rock singer-songwriter who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. Allin was best known for his controversial live performances, which often featured transgressive acts, including self-mutilation and assaulting audience members, for which he was arrested and imprisoned on multiple occasions. AllMusic and G4TV’s That’s Tough have called him “the most spectacular degenerate in rock & roll history” and the “toughest rock star in the world”.
Known more for his notorious stage antics than for his music, Allin recorded prolifically, not only in the punk rock genre, but also in spoken word, country, and more traditional-style rock. His lyrics, which often expressed themes of violence and misanthropy, polarized listeners and created varied opinions of him within the highly politicized punk community.
Allin’s music was often poorly recorded and produced, given limited distribution, and met with mostly negative reviews from critics, although he maintained a cult following throughout and after his career. Allin promised for several years that he would die by suicide on stage during one of his concerts, but instead died from an accidental drug overdose on June 28, 1993, at the age of 36.
Recording career (Early years)
Allin’s earliest musical influences were 1960s British Invasion bands including the Beatles, Greg Van Voorst, the Rolling Stones, and the Dave Clark Five. In the early ’70s, Alice Cooper became a large influence on Allin. Allin’s earliest recorded musical endeavors were as a drummer, he also wrote most of his songs on an acoustic guitar. In his mid-teens, he and his older brother Merle, who plays bass guitar, formed their first band, Little Sister’s Date, which lasted a little over a year. The group covered songs by Aerosmith, Kiss, and other popular rock bands of the time period. Both Allin and Merle gained a strong interest in punk rock. The Ramones and the Stooges were a strong influence on Allin.
Allin graduated from Concord High School in Concord, Vermont, in 1975, and shortly after formed the band Malpractice with his older brother, local musician Jeff Penny, and Brian Demurs (a high school friend). Allin played the drums for Malpractice until the band separated in 1977. He then became the drummer for the band Stripsearch, which released one 7″ single, containing the songs “Galileo” and “Jesus Over New York”.
From September 1977 to April 1984, Allin performed as front man for the Jabbers, in which he played drums and performed vocals. Allin’s 1980 debut album was Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be for Orange Records. It would be reissued for the first time on CD in 1995 by the Halycon imprint. At one point, industry veteran and the Dead Boys producer Genya Ravan served as his manager. Tension within the Jabbers mounted as Allin grew uncontrollable, uncompromising and vicious. The Jabbers disbanded.
Allin fronted many acts during the early to mid-1980s. This includes albums from the Cedar Street Sluts, the Scumfucs in 1982 and the Texas Nazis in 1985. Allin remained in the underground hardcore scene, yet was not part of the East Coast hardcore scene. His performances in Manchester, New Hampshire, with the Cedar Street Sluts earned him the nickname of “the Madman of Manchester”.
Allin gained wider attention with the ROIR cassette-only release of Hated in the Nation (1987) containing tracks from Allin’s out-of-print catalog with the Jabbers, the Scumfucs and the Cedar Street Sluts. The tape also featured several in-studio and in-concert recordings with an all-star band assembled by producer Maximum RocknRoll and early Allin patron Mykel Board. This band featured J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. on lead guitar and Bongwater record producer/musician Mark Kramer on bass.
Legacy
Video footage of the soundcheck, concert, and aftermath from Allin’s final concert on the day of his death was appended to the 1997 DVD release of Hated.
GG Allin’s grave was frequently vandalized with urine, feces, cigarette butts, and alcohol by fans, an act that was greatly discouraged by GG’s mother Arleta. His tombstone has since been removed because of this.
Hank Williams III’s 2008 album Damn Right, Rebel Proud features the song “P.F.F.”, which features the line “This song is written and dedicated for GG Allin” spoken at the beginning.
On December 13, 2018, Showtime premiered the 2017 documentary GG Allin: All in the Family which documented Allin’s life, career and death and how his brother and mother were coping with his death 20 years later.
According to Merle Allin’s Facebook page, Arleta Allin (Gunther) died on August 7, 2019.
Tracklist
Birth Side
A1 Bored To Death
A2 Beat, Beat, Beat
A3 One Man Army
A4 Assface
A5 Pussy Summit Meeting
A6 Cheri Love Affair
Death Side
B1 Automatic
B2 I Need Adventure
B3 Don’t Talk To Me
B4 Unpredictable
B5 1980’s Rock ‘N’ Roll
GG Allin discography
Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be (1980)
Eat My Fuc (1984)
You’ll Never Tame Me (1985)
You Give Love a Bad Name (1987)
Freaks, Faggots, Drunks and Junkies (1988)
The Suicide Sessions (1989)
Murder Junkies (1991)
Brutality and Bloodshed for All (1993)
Live at The Rat EP (2018)
Associated acts
The Jabbers
the Scumfucs
Little Sister’s Date
Malpractice
Antiseen
the Cedar Street Sluts
Carolina Shitkickers
Horse N Gods
Bulge
the Toilet Rockers
the Criminal Quartet
the Texas Nazis
David Peel
Bloody Mess & the Skabs
the Southern Baptists
the Murder Junkies
Dee Dee Ramone
the Primates
