From their iconic logo, to their unmistakable devil-lock hairstyles, to their songs that
push the boundaries of good taste, the Misfits have put their stamp on punk rock over the past
40-plus years. But if you haven't dug in deep, you might not know these details
Born Glenn Anceloni on June 23, 1955, in Lodi, New Jersey, Glenn Danzig, like many disaffected
suburban kids in the 60s, grew up hooked on comics and horror movies. A self-described outsider
year, Danzig had little patience for his peers or their tastes. In a 2013 interview with The Stranger
Danzig had this to say about his youth, "'Growing up, while everyone else was reading stupid stuff, I was reading Edgar Allan Poe
and Baudelaire. I loved horror movies, and I really liked underground comics.'
After graduating from Lodi High School in 1973, Danzig developed an interest in music. As the
Danzig frontman told The Stranger, his hatred of everything spurred his entry into music
With a taste for heavy music like Black Sabbath, the singer joined his first band in 1975
By 1976, he was ready to realize a new musical vision, one that would incorporate his offbeat
interests and obsessions. New York's rising punk rock movement seemed the perfect vehicle
Naming his new band The Misfits after Marilyn Monroe's final film, Danzig recruited bassist
Diane DiPiazza and drummer Manny Martinez. Failing to show up for rehearsals, DiPiazza
was soon replaced by Jerry Caiafa. With Caiafa on bass, a guitarless misfit featuring Danzig
on vocals and electric piano released their first single, Koff Cool, backed with She
an ode to heiress-turned-symbionese-Liberation Army bank robber Patty Hearst in August of 1977
Released on Glenn Danzig's label, Blank Records, Koff Cool was limited to a modest pressing of 500
copies. Still, the short run was enough to attract the attention of a major label
but not in the way that Danzig and the Misfits might have hoped. According to American Hardcore, A Tribal History, Mercury Records wanted Blank as an indie imprint
and were willing to make a deal to get it. In exchange for 30 hours of studio time
the Misfits gave up Blank Records and rechristened their label Plan 9 in a nod to Ed Wood's infamous
movie. In early 1978, The Misfits, which consisted of Danzig, Jerry Caiafia, who was now known as
Jerry Only, drummer Jim Mr. Jim Catania, and guitarist Frank Franchicoma Licata entered the
studio to record what they intended to be their debut album, Static Age. Over the course of 20
hours, the band recorded 17 songs, including early versions of Teenagers from Mars, Hybrid Moments
and Last Caress. However, the band was unable to generate studio interest in the album. Danzig
would wind up releasing many of the recordings as singles and EPs. Static Age was finally released
in 1996 as part of the Misfits' box set, followed by a 1997 standalone release featuring newly mixed
versions of She, Spinal Remains, and the rarity in The Doorway. Fueled by Glenn Danzig's creativity
and funded by Jerry Only's day job at his father's machine shop
the Misfits developed a loyal following, playing shows in New Jersey and New York
Entrenched in a die-hard, do-it-yourself ethic, Danzig designed the artwork for the Misfits
self-released record, folding and gluing the sleeves by hand. With the 1978 departure of Franche Coma and Mr. Jim
the Misfits again found themselves in need of a guitarist and drummer. The next lineup featured Bobby Steele, a veteran of the New York punk scene
and drummer Joey Image. As recounted in American Hardcore, it was during this era that the band began incorporating horror
elements into its image. A typical Misfits gig began with horror movie trailers projected onto
a huge roll of seamless paper draped in front of the stage. As the last clip ended, the band would
strike their first ear-splitting chord and smash through the screen. The look of the band also
became more cohesive. Danzig, clad in a homemade skeleton shirt and only in leather and spikes
were now sporting exaggerated, chin-length, Dracula-style widow's peaks that would come to
be known as devil locks. According to Misfits Central, the flyer for the band's final show
at New York's Max's Kansas City featured the Misfits' first use of the iconic Crimson Ghost
Lifted from the 1946 Republic film's serial of the same name, the Crimson Ghost would become
the Misfits' mascot and the image most associated with the band. The Misfits opened for British punk band The Damned at a New York club called Hurrah in June
of 1979. Prior to taking the stage, Misfits bassist Jerry Only discussed the possibility
of opening for The Damned on a United Kingdom tour with the band's vocalist Dave Vanyan
From this point, the details of The Misfits' ill-fated tour of Britain become somewhat murky
According to American Hardcore, Glenn Danzig and Only booked the tour through England's
Musicians Union and received a contract outlining tour dates and pay from the dam manager On November 21 1979 the Misfits arrived in England only went to Vanyan home to work out some final details The visit came as a complete
surprise to Vanyan, who hadn't taken Onely's offer seriously. Compounding the confusion
Onely had neglected to sign the contracts drawn up by the dam's management. The Misfits were
hurriedly added to the dam's tour, but frustration over lack of pay, likely stemming from the unsigned
contracts, and frustration with rented gear led the band to quit after one show
Stranded in England and surviving on Only's father's credit cards, misfits nearly fractured
Welcome to the party, honey! Drummer Joey Image booked a flight back to the United States, effectively quitting the band
While Only went sightseeing with the late Sid Vicious' mother, Bobby Steele and Danzig landed in jail after a violent confrontation
allegedly with local skinheads. their two-night stay in London's Brixton Jail was immortalized by Danzig in the misfit song
London Dungeon. In 1980, the Misfits replaced guitarist Bobby Steele with Jerry Only's
towering 16-year-old brother, Paul Kayafa. Rechristened Doyle, the younger Kayafa's entry into the band was marked with controversy. According to Only, Bobby Steele was unreliable
and often missed practice. In an interview with American hardcore author Stephen Blush
only gave this reason for Steele's firing. The problem was that Bobby's problems were bigger
than the band problems. If Bobby had something to do, then the band came second
The Misfits finally recorded a full-length debut album in 1981. Released in 1982
Walk Among Us featured the lineup of Glenn Danzig, Doyle, Jerry Only, and new drummer Arthur Guji
Considered by many as the definitive Misfits album, Walk Among Us represents the pinnacle
of the band's melodic horror-punk style. Their next album would mark a near-total change in
direction. Featuring a hardcore sound in the vein of Black Flag and Bad Brains
Earth AD was initially met with a tepid response from critics and fans
Although it has since come to be considered a classic, many originally felt that the band was
merely jumping on the hardcore bandwagon. As documented in This Music Leaves Stains
The Complete Story of the Misfits, longtime fans disliked the new sound. According to American
hardcore, Danzig is no fan of The Misfits' final album, telling Blush
"...I didn't like Earth AD at all. The songs were played too fast, and the album ended up
sounding like one long song. That's because the guys in the band couldn't play." The last incarnation of the original Misfits played their last show on October 29, 1983
at Detroit's Greystone Hall. In the months before, the band had lost two more drummers
Arthur Gucci quit over an alleged altercation after ordering two cheeseburgers on a tour stop
an offense that angered budget-conscious Glenn Danzig. Ex-Black Flag drummer Robo took over in time to record Earth AD. Robo, who'd been booted from
the Kayafas' home, moved in with Danzig. Unable to get along with the temperamental singer
Robo soon quit. With a Halloween show and a tour of Germany looming
the misfits were once again in search of a drummer. As recounted in This Music Leaves Stains
Jerry Only contacted Guji about returning to the band. When Danzig discovered Only's overtures to
their ex-drummer, he vetoed the idea. Instead, he recruited Brian Damage Keats of the band Genocide
Damage's performance at the Detroit Halloween show was a disaster. The drummer, suffering from a case
of frayed nerves, began drinking before the show. By the time the band hit the stage, Damage was
was too inebriated to play, and was tossed offstage by an incensed Doyle. Todd Swalla
of the Necros filled in for the remainder of the night. At the show's end, Danzig announced that
the Misfits were over. Demoralized, the band shared a tense van ride back to New Jersey
Danzig wouldn't speak with Doyle and Only Again for decades. With the Misfits behind him, Danzig went on to form punk supergroup Samain with minor threat
guitarist Lyle Presler and drummer Brian Baker. The band shied away from the Misfits' campier
aesthetic in favor of darker themes. Former Misfits photographer Erie Vaughn handled bass
duties on their first album, alongside Pete Damian Marshall on guitar and Steve Zing on drums
Unfortunately, Presler and Baker didn't really fit Danzig's version for the project
so this lineup didn't last. Only and Doyle went to work at their father's knife factory
They ultimately returned to music in 1987 as the Christian metal band Christ the Conqueror
They recorded one album, mainly to test out some instruments they'd made, but it ultimately flocked
Before long, they went back to performing as the Misfits. In 2001, the band took action against Caroline Records for releasing their aborted 1980 album
12 Hits From Hell. They weren't happy with the record for a number of reasons, and even Only and Danzig were
able to come together to agree it shouldn't see the light of day. But the legal struggles continued when Danzig sued his former band in 2014
While they had reached a settlement dividing their rights to use the misfit name years before Danzig apparently changed his mind after seeing some of the merch his former bandmate signed off on in a statement only called Danzig claims completely baseless
After Graves and Chud left the band in 2000, the Misfits' successful second act came to an end
but before long, Only took a new lineup on a 25th anniversary tour with Marky Ramon
and Black Flag's Des Cadena sitting in. Not long after that, Doyle struck out on his own
with a new band called Gorgeous Frankenstein. That year, he also reunited with Danzig on stage
for a set of Misfit songs. He spent the next few years making similar appearances and also started
a self-titled solo project. Danzig and Only eventually entered yet another legal dispute
over trademarks and profits. Sounds familiar. But they once again reached a settlement. This time
around, fans won out as they agreed to reunite as the original Misfits for a series of stadium shows
They called in ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and A.C. Slade of Wednesday 13 to back them up
and proceeded to play shows into 2024. In 1999, World Championship Wrestling was losing ground
to WWE, then known as the World Wrestling Federation. So WCW decided to bring in the
misfits of that era to see if it could generate a little punk rock attention. The misfits were
paired with Vampiro, which was stylistically a great choice. The band appeared in the promotion
for two months, often helping Vampiro in his matches. Only also stepped inside the ring
facing off against Dr. Death Steve Williams in a cage match. Speaking with the Hannibal TV
Vampiro explained the Misfits were never supposed to wrestle. Instead, the plan was for Vampiro to
perform with the band on stage, but Only pushed to become an in-ring performer, which made him
somewhat unpopular in the locker room. He didn't understand wrestling dressing room culture. It's
It's not rock and roll dressing room culture. It's a whole other world. It didn't help that Doyle started a relationship with macho man Randy Savage's then-girlfriend, Gorgeous George
With all the tension surrounding the band, their tenure on WCW came to an end quickly
On January 6th, 2021, the far-right group The Proud Boys participated in the Capitol riots following Joe Biden's election
and former misfit singer Michael Graves later testified on their behalf. According to the Proud Boys' lawyer, Graves was scheduled to play a show for the group on the
afternoon of January 6. Graves said the Proud Boys may have been guilty of trespassing, but stated
I know for a fact there was not some elaborate plan to take over the Capitol that day
In February 2025, Graves' show in Pittsburgh was canceled after fans flooded online forums to voice
their disapproval about his booking. Fans continued to protest his gigs due to his ties to the Proud
Boys, and several more of his shows were canceled. The Misfits and Sex Pistols both stood as central
pillars of punk, and their members even crossed paths. Unfortunately, it was under pretty dark
circumstances. According to Metal Hammer, Only stated that he was invited to a party in Greenwich
Village, Manhattan, where he met Pistols' bassist Sid Vicious. Only was pretty early, so he helped
Vicious' mother cook until some of Sid's friends turned up and started getting high
Only wasn't a fan of what was going on and noticed the effect it was having on Vicious
He recalled, I had to smack Sid round a couple of times. I said, this is ridiculous. And his mom said
well, it happens all the time. I said, it shouldn't happen at all. I got out of there
and left him to it. The next day, Only was shocked to learn that Vicious died. He'd later
drive Vicious' mother to the coroner and then the cemetery, where she'd spread her son's ashes
over Nancy Spungen's grave. In the 2010s, Doyle fell head over heels for arch-enemy vocalist
Alicia White Gloos, and the pair started dating. And like many men before him
Doyle changed his entire lifestyle for love. Speaking with vegan health and fitness
he explained that their very first conversation was about veganism. White Gloos explained the
ethical reasons she was vegan, and he decided he didn't want to eat anything in front of her that
would go against her values, so he joined the vegan community and didn't look back
He explained, He added how it wasn't too much of an adjustment for him to change his diet, and he's found
that being vegan has made him happier. Being vegan is metal as f**k
Bad stories about possible movie castings are common in Hollywood, but they're often
just rumors. But in the 90s, Danzig was actually in the running to play Wolverine in X-Men
Frankly, the idea doesn't sound that far-fetched. Both the comic book version of Logan and Danzig are small in stature but extremely muscular
And this was the same era that saw Shaq cast as Steel, so it's really not that big of a
jump for producers to consider a punk singer for a grittier role
In a 2012 interview with LA Weekly, Danzig discussed his brief involvement with the casting
of Wolverine and revealed how Hugh Jackman may not have been the frontrunner He explained he wasn the first choice 2016 Danzig told The New York Times that if the Misfits put out
another record, he'd want to write it. But he also claimed to be very busy, so he didn't know if that
was possible. Come 2025, Danzig still isn't too keen on releasing a new Misfits album. But instead
of time, he's now concerned with money. He told 98 Rock, He did go on to say that he might be willing to track a single or two, as that would be cheaper
than making a full album. It would also be a nice throwback to the early days of the Misfits
when they had to release singles because they couldn't afford to make a full length in the first
place. A lot went into The Misfits' return in the 90s, especially after they signed to heavyweight
record label Geffen Records. Geffen had seen the success Green Day had achieved throughout the
decade, and so it decided to sign a punk band, as only told Mark Prindle in 2003
See, what happened was that we got signed to Geffen based on the premise of Green Day selling
five million records, okay? So what they wanted, and what I knew we would be criticized by our fans
for not doing, was kicking it the whole way. Only explained how the band wanted to go full
punk rock on their album, while Geffen wanted more radio-friendly pop punk. This tug-of-war
ultimately produced 1997's American Psycho, and the label wasn't exactly impressed with the product
but only refused to back down, so the band parted ways with the company
Roadrunner Records would go on to put out the next Misfits album, Famous Monsters
By 1986, the Misfits had attained a level of notoriety far beyond anything they had experienced
as a functioning band. Their growing cult fame was due largely to the success of Metallica
who championed the underground band in interviews, wore Misfits t-shirts, and covered their songs
Last Caress and Green Hell on the 1987 EP Garage Days Re-Revisited. The band's late bassist
Cliff Burton was a Misfits superfan who turned the rest of the band onto Glenn Danzig's infamous
horror band. The bassist, who was killed in a bus accident while on tour in Sweden in 1986
even sported a prominent crimson ghost tattoo on his right arm. In an interview with music
journalist Joe Goston, Misfits guitarist Doyle credited Burton with the band's fame
I think Cliff Burton turned the whole world onto the Misfits. If he didn't
we wouldn't be doing these reunions. He enlightened people to it. In 1995, Jerry Only and Doyle aimed to resurrect the Misfits for a new generation
Glenn Danzig soundly rejected an offer to return, opening the door for a new vocalist
Just 19 years old when he joined the band, Michael Graves brought competent vocal chops
to the new Misfits while consciously avoiding Danzig's distinctive evil Elvis pruning
Along with drummer Dr. Chud, Graves, Only, and Doyle, now known as Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein
released two back-to-back metal-infused albums, American Psycho and Famous Monsters. Does it suck to play music? No
With a more polished sound and an increased focus on horror movie imagery, the band divided fans into two camps
Danzig loyalists and new fans who enjoyed the band's new cartoonish approach
Misfits founder Danzig summed up the feelings of many original fans to Stephen Blush
author of American Hardcore, declaring, The band you see now as the Misfits is not the Misfits
It's one guy trying to relive something and make some money because punk is fashionable again
After years of rumors and well-documented bad blood, the likelihood of a Glenn Danzig-led Misfits comeback still seemed slim
While some remained cautiously optimistic, many fans feared an implosion before the band set foot on a stage
The Misfits proved the naysayers wrong on the evening of September 4
2016, when they took the stage at Denver's Riot Fest. The reunion continued two weeks later in Chicago
where The Misfits played for an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 fans. It's nice when people are singing and you don't even have to sing, really, if you want
You just put the mic out, they're singing every word. Sold-out shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas follow
The original Misfits played arena shows through 2019. Although Danzig publicly announced that their October 19, 2019 Madison Square Garden show would
be the Misfits' swan song, the veteran horror punks were back on stage in Philadelphia just
two months later. Reflecting on years of animosity, Jerry Only told Rolling Stone that he and Danzig
were, quote, never not friends, likening their relationship to the rivalry between basketball
greats Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Only told the outlet, We went in there wanting to cut each other's throats
We walked out the door knowing we were going to play together. It's a very cool thing