JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

D.H. Peligro, the longtime drummer for the iconic punk band Dead Kennedys, has died at the age of 63.

(SOUNDBITE OF DEAD KENNEDYS SONG, “MOON OVER MARIN”)

SUMMERS: His frantic hardcore drumming set the pace for the band's boundary-pushing lyrics and performances.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Born Darren Henley in St. Louis, Mo., Peligro moved to San Francisco to join the punk music scene. After hearing Dead Kennedys play, he auditioned to be their next drummer. Peligro brought fresh energy to the band's music. And despite the music's aggressive formula, Peligro was a warm, easygoing person.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

D H PELIGRO: We don't want people coming down to make trouble. We are pretty anti-violence.

SUMMERS: Peligro was also one of the few Black punk musicians early on, and he spoke openly about his experiences with racism when the band toured. NPR Music's Lars Gotrich says Peligro helped set the bar for the hardcore music scene's beat.

LARS GOTRICH, BYLINE: He had the stamina to blast through these 90-second songs, but he also had soul. I mean, just listen to the song "I Spy," which Peligro wrote. It swings at first.

(SOUNDBITE OF DEAD KENNEDYS SONG, "I SPY")

GOTRICH: But then, just as the song barrels into a surf-punk chaos and everything feels like it's going to topple over, Peligro keeps everything steady. His precision and innovation would become the backbone of American hardcore.

KELLY: D.H. Peligro was 63 years old.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I SPY")

DEAD KENNEDYS: (Singing) I spy for you and me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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