Former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra has been taken to hospital after suffering a stroke.
The 67 year old punk musician experienced a hemorrhagic stroke caused by high blood pressure on Saturday (07.03.26). He later recalled the frightening moment he realised something was seriously wrong when he suddenly lost control of his arms and legs and was unable to stop himself from collapsing.
Sharing an update through his record label Alternative Tentacles on Instagram, he explained: “I hopped out of my bed because I needed to pee, and my left leg just collapsed under me and I fell to the floor. I couldn’t even break the fall with my left arm because it wasn’t working either. I tried to hop back up again, and I couldn’t. I realised I had ‘fallen and I can’t get up!’ It was this point I thought, ‘Oh s***, I’m having a stroke!'"
He said his main focus now is recovery and rehabilitation, writing: “I still have a lot of great stuff in me, but right now I gotta lotta of rehabbing to do.”
Representatives from Alternative Tentacles reassured fans that Biafra is being looked after, stating: “We are all just very thankful he is OK and getting the care that he needs. We will update you all as we are able.”
Biafra has not performed with Dead Kennedys since he departed the group in 1986, and the strained relationship between him and his former bandmates has continued over the years.
Guitarist East Bay Ray recently spoke about the long standing conflict between them, saying: “It’s Biafra that turns down any offers for us to do something; we don’t have any problem. He got caught with his hands in the till and wants to blame us for getting caught, but he should never have put his hands in there in the first place.”
The conflict can be traced back to a lawsuit filed in 1998 which accused Biafra of keeping royalties that were owed to the band. He ultimately lost the case in 2000 and was ordered to pay the outstanding royalties along with punitive damages. As part of the ruling, he was also required to transfer the rights to much of the band’s back catalogue, which allowed the remaining members to reissue several releases, including a 2022 version of their debut album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables. Biafra later claimed the reissue was carried out “intentionally” without his involvement.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Biafra has continued to appear on stage occasionally. Last summer he surprised fans by joining King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard during their set at the Field Of Vision festival in Buena Vista, Colorado, where they performed the Dead Kennedys 1980 song Police Truck together.
