Gary Floyd, an American independent singer-songwriter who was best known for leading the anarchist band the Dicks in the 1980s, Sister Double Happiness, and Black Kali Ma in the 1990s, has passed away. He was an adherent of both Hinduism and communism and performed country, blues, and folk music. Together with Randy ‘Biscuit’ Turner of Big Boys and MDC vocalist Dave Dictor, he was among a select group of openly LGBT musicians in the punk movement.
Floyd, along with Buffx Parrot, Pat Deason, and Glen Taylor, established the Dicks in 1980 in Austin. Floyd moved to San Francisco in 1983, where a second iteration of The Dicks was formed, featuring Tim Carroll, Sebastian Fuchs, and Lynn Perko (formerly of the all-female band The Wrecks). The Dicks commenced recording and performing under the new lineup. In 1986, the ensemble ceased to exist.
In the late 1980s, Gary Floyd established the blues-rock ensemble Sister Double Happiness in San Francisco. Following the dissolution of that band, he formed The Gary Floyd Band, with which he predominantly performed in Europe; a compilation of this material, Backdoor Preacher Man, is available in the United States. Floyd was a member of Black Kali Ma in the late 1990s; the band’s album was published on Alternative Tentacles.
Floyd performed a series of reunion concerts with the original Dicks in 2004 and 2005, excluding Glen Taylor, who passed away in 1997. The vacancy was occupied by Brian Magee. During their performance in Austin, the band was accompanied by David Yow on Wheelchair Epidemic. Regarding The Dicks’ bandleader, Austin’s Butthole Surfers composed “Gary Floyd.” Additionally, on their 2004 single The Ode, the hardcore band Limp Wrist paid homage to Floyd and Randy Turner.
Dicks
Dicks, an Austin, Texas-based American punk rock band, debuted in 1980 and ceased operations in 1986. Dicks was founded in 1980 by Gary Floyd, Buxf Parrott, Pat Deason, and Glen Taylor in Austin, Texas. Released in 1980, their debut single “Dicks Hate The Police” garnered considerable attention and is now considered a classic hardcore punk track.[4] Floyd performs the song from the vantage point of a police officer who exploits his authority by singling out minority groups and mistreating civilians.
Dicks frequently performed alongside other pioneering Texas hardcore bands, including MDC, The Offenders, and The Big Boys; Live at Raul’s Club, a split album with The Big Boys, was Dicks’ full-length debut. “Saturday Night at the Bookstore” and “Off-Duty Sailor” were among the early punk compositions by Dicks that tackled topics of sexual identity and homophobia.
So sad to hear of Gary’s Passing he wat the imbodyment of inspiration
add will always be.