Finding Joseph I: An Oral History of H.R. from Bad Brains

by Howie Abrams

  Russell Braen was the music manager at the Washington, DC, venue and artist collective Madam’s Organ, where many DC-area bands played their earliest shows—H.R. and Bad Brains included.

  Julian Cambridge is a musician and friend of H.R.’s from the early Bad Brains days and was integrally involved in H.R.’s move toward Rastafarianism.

  Randy Choice is a Washington, DC, native who played keyboards with H.R. during the early ’90s, including the 1992 release Our Faith. He currently lives in Dublin, Ireland.

  Yana Chupenko was a NYC hardcore scene staple and the dynamic lead vocalist in both PMS and Wench. She loves singing Dio songs.

  Anthony Countey began managing Bad Brains in 1982—and, by all accounts, he did so through 2013.

  Juan DeCosta is an old friend of H.R.’s from the Madam’s Organ days in DC.

  Kenny Dread played bass on several of H.R.’s reggae releases and lived in the Dread House, along with H.R. and many others. Kenny toured off and on with Human Rights up until 1989.

  Larry Dread is a member of the group African Unity, and is featured on the Rock Of Enoch album. He has been a great friend to H.R. for many years.

  Englishman played bass with H.R.’s band on the Charge album.

  Norwood Fisher, along with his brother Phillip “Fish” Fisher, founded the ska-punk-funk outfit Fishbone in 1979 in South Central Los Angeles. He plays the crap out of the bass.

  Michael Franti kicked off his music career in San Francisco, California, with art-punkers The Beatnigs; he moved on to The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy; and he now makes moves with Michael Franti & Spearhead. He is a staunch advocate for peace and social awareness.

  Jimmy Gestapo, aka James Drescher, is a Queens, New York native and pioneer of the hardcore scene in New York City. He has fronted the band Murphy’s Law since 1982 and is one of the funniest and wittiest gentlemen you could ever meet.

  Corey Glover was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is the lead singer for Living Colour. He also played Francis in the film Platoon.

  Jose Gonzales was the first bass player in H.R.’s reggae group. He previously played with early NYHC purveyors The Mob.

  Steven Hanner is a photographer who has captured many great moments throughout the career of H.R. and Bad Brains, including the iconic live image of the Brains from inside the packaging of the I Against I album.

  Miguel Happoldt founded Skunk Records and produced and performed in Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars. Miguel has also done production work for Slightly Stoopid and Unwritten Law.

  Nick Hexum was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and is the vocalist and guitarist for 311. Among other projects, Nick appeared on a track for Chef Aid: The South Park Album, alongside Flea and Tom Morello.

  H.R., aka Joseph I, is the lead vocalist and lyricist for Bad Brains, Human Rights and Zion Train. He is the greatest front man of all time. H.R. is married and currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  Earl Hudson is the drummer for Bad Brains, Human Rights and Zion Train. He is H.R.’s younger brother and an extraordinary skinsman.

  Lori Carns Hudson is H.R.’s loving wife.

  ILL BILL was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and is one of the finest independent rappers ever to come from the five boroughs. H.R. is featured on two of Bill’s tracks: “Riya,” on his The Hour of Reprisal album, and “Forty Deuce Hebrew” on The Grimy Awards.

  Rakaa Iriscience is a member of Los Angeles’s alternative hip-hop outfit Dilated Peoples.

  Deb Jones is originally from Australia, and worked with Bad Brains’ manager Anthony Countey. She served as H.R.’s assistant during the God of Love album cycle.

  David Jordan played guitar in H.R.’s band early on and is still convinced that H.R. owes him money.

  Israel JosepH I was the Bad Brains’ vocalist for the Rise album and tour cycle.

  John Joseph is the front man for NYHC legends the Cro-Mags. He is also an author, having published the excellent The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon and also Meat Is for Pussies.

  JAMEKEE founded Diverse Intensified Audio and has released titles by H.R., among others.

  M-1 is one-half of the politically fueled hip-hop duo Dead Prez from NYC. DP’s debut album in 2000, Let’s Get Free, is an underground classic!

  Alec MacKaye is the younger brother of Minor Threat and Fugazi front man Ian MacKaye and has been a member of Untouchables, The Faith and Ignition. Alec is whom you see on the cover of Minor Threat’s classic self-titled EP.

  Ian MacKaye was the lead vocalist of Minor Threat and Fugazi as well as other groups, and he founded the incredible Dischord Records. Ian coined the term “straight edge,” using it as the title for a song by the same name on Minor Threat’s EP, Minor Threat.

  Sid McCray is an early friend of the members of Bad Brains and was the man who turned them on to punk rock. He was Bad Brains’ first singer but stepped aside to make way for H.R.

  Duff McKagan is the bass player for Guns N’ Roses and also played in Velvet Revolver. He saw Bad Brains play in Seattle, Washington, on their very first tour of America.

  Jamie Mitchell was a member of H.R.’s band during the early 1990s and was also his roommate.

  Angelo Moore, aka Dr. Madd Vibe, is the lead vocalist and saxophonist for the genre-bending outfit Fishbone. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

  Chino Moreno, born Camillo Wong Moreno, is the lead vocalist and occasional guitarist for Deftones. His other projects include Team Sleep, Crosses, Saudade and Palms.

  Keith Morris helped form the legendary Southern California hardcore band, Black Flag; was the front man for the Circle Jerks; and currently fronts both Off! and Flag.

  Toby Morse is a ball of energy and fronts the tuneful NYHC band H2O. In addition, Toby does speaking engagements at schools across America under the banner “One Life, One Chance,” in an effort to keep the youths positive and out of trouble.

  Opie Ortiz is a member of Long Beach Dub Allstars and is a tattoo artist in Long Beach, California. He is the tattooer who inked the Sublime logo onto Bradley Nowell’s back, which appears on the cover of the Sublime album. He also created the iconic sun artwork on Sublime’s 40oz to Freedom album, and can be seen on the cover of their Robbin’ the Hood album.

  Guy Oseary was an A&R executive and, later, chairman of Madonna’s Maverick Records. He signed Bad Brains to Maverick.

  Lucian Perkins is a photojournalist who captured a number of crucial gigs during the development of Washington, DC’s, punk and hardcore scenes. His book, Hard Art, DC 1979, features incredible photographs from that early period in the District.

  Questlove is the extraordinary percussionist for The Roots and appears every weeknight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He will expound upon the greatness and influence of H.R. and Bad Brains to anyone within earshot.

  Jack Rabid is the cofounder of the zine The Big Takeover, named after the Bad Brains song. He was a member of the early NYC punk band Even Worse with one-time Beastie Boy John Berry.

  Ras MG/MARSHALL GOODMAN plays drums in Sublime as well as Long Beach Dub Allstars, which reformed in 2012.

  Ras Michael is a Jamaican reggae singer and Nyabinghi specialist. He played the role of guru to H.R. as he became more deeply involved with Rasta. In addition to acting as an evangelist, ambassador and diplomat for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahido Church, Ras Michael is a cofounder and president of the Rastafarian International/Marcus Garvey Cultural Center in Los Angeles, and the Fly Away Culture Center in Kingston, Jamaica. Currently, he lives in California.

  Vernon Reid is a guitarist, songwriter, composer and producer, best known for his work with the Grammy Award–winning band Living Colour. His collaborations outside of LC include everyone from Donald Byrd and Ronald Shannon Jackson to Public Enemy, Janet Jackson and Mick Jagger. Reid, like H.R., was born in the UK.

  Jimi Riley worked at Olive Tree
Records as a graphic designer and became a close friend of H.R.’s while living in the Dread House. He and H.R. had a well-documented falling out, which went a step further when Jimi interviewed H.R. for the WDC Period in 1985.

  Al Rondon played drums as a member of The Crabiteers, which backed up H.R.’s reggae offerings during the early 1990s.

  Andy Rondon is Al’s brother and was also the bassist in The Crabiteers.

  Sonny Sandoval is the lead vocalist for the San Diego, California, rap-metal band P.O.D. (Payable on Death). He is a devout Christian and once tried his hand at being an MC.

  John Stabb was best known as the vocalist for DC hardcore stalwarts Government Issue. John sadly passed away on May 7, 2016, at the age of fifty-four following a hard-fought battle with stomach cancer.

  Ron St. Germain produced the Bad Brains’ stellar I Against I and Quickness albums and mixed their live album, The Youth Are Getting Restless. Ron’s other credits include . . . pretty much anyone and everyone in the music business. Google it!

  Mo Sussman managed Bad Brains until around 1981, when he and the band parted ways over a difference of philosophy as to the direction of the band.

  Skeeter Thompson is the bassist for one of DC hardcore’s finest bands, Scream.

  Alvarez Tolsen is a childhood friend of H.R.’s and has appeared on a handful of his recorded projects, including the Charge and Singin’ in the Heart albums.

  Marlando Tolsen is Alvarez’s brother, an early friend of H.R.’s.

  Chuck Treece is an incredible multi-instrumentalist, originally from Newark, Delaware. He was the touring drummer for Bad Brains at one time and was a member of both McRad and Underdog. Chuck used to be a pro skateboarder and even played the bass line on Billy Joel’s “The River of Dreams” single.

  Al “Judah” Walker is a vocalist/musician who has collaborated with H.R. on many of his reggae projects over the years.

  Saul Williams is an acclaimed hip-hop poet, musician and actor. He has starred in films and on Broadway and has had his poetry published by The New York Times and elsewhere.

  Eric Wilson was the bassist for Sublime and Long Beach Dub Allstars, among others, and currently handles the low end for Sublime with Rome.

  CREDITS

  Lyrics to “Happy Birthday My Son” reprinted with permission

  Cover Design By:

  Donna McLeer / Tunnel Vizion Media, Brooklyn, NY

  Photos contributed by:

  Jeff Schmale

  Marcia Resnick

  BJ Papas

  H.R.

  Lucian Perkins

  James Mahoney

  Steven Hanner

  The Sussman Family (live photos courtesy of MJ Vilardi

  Jamie Mitchell

  Ken Salerno

  Mateus Mondini

  Miguel Happoldt

  Rusty Moore

  Trent Nelson

  Lori Carns Hudson

  James Lathos

  H.R. logo images contributed by Craig Ibarra.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  H.R. Would Like to Thank: Mom and Dad, Lori, my brother Earl, Bad Brains, Shamus, Howie, Small Axe Films and all of my friends.

  James Lathos Would Like to Thank: God, Sheila, Jordan, Mazzy, Jeff Schmale, Rob Parsell, Terry Anzaldo, Kevin McGuinness, Andrew Aaman, Miguel, Jay Mohr, Res, Howie, Small Axe Films, Lesser Gods and all my family and friends.

  Howie Abrams Would Like to Thank: James Lathos for being so gracious and dedicated to this project, Jacob Hoye, Cees Wessels, Marcus Turner, Peter Nussbaum, Donna McLeer, Michael Croland and Randi Klein.

  To my dearest Julie and Nia: You are my light and my love!

  Special Thanks to all who agreed to be interviewed and those who contributed photographs.

  Extra Special Thanks and praises to the inimitable H.R. We are forever grateful for everything you have done and continue to do and all that you are, which is the greatest of all time.

  Rest in Peace John Stabb and Mo Sussman.

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Howie Abrams is a former music business executive turned author from New York City. He co-authored The Merciless Book of Metal Lists with Mass Appeal’s Sacha Jenkins and Misfit Summer Camp: 20 Years on the Road with the Vans Warped Tour with Kevin Lyman. Howie currently contributes to a number of music blogs, and co-hosts a weekly radio show called Merciless with rapper ILL BILL. Bad Brains is his all-time favorite band!

  James Lathos is a filmmaker and published writer living in Florida. He makes his documentary debut with Finding Joseph I: The H.R. from Bad Brains Documentary, which is the primary inspiration for this book.

  For more information about the Finding Joseph I documentary film, go to HRdocumentary.com

  AN ORAL HISTORY OF H.R. FROM BAD BRAINS