Keith Morris Appreciation Week
Let's show some love for a true American icon
It’s been an exciting week for Corporate Rock Sucks. The first review, first interview, and first podcast all went live. Then this happened:
The last time a box of books with my name on it arrived in the mail was the summer of 2020. Bad Religion had all kinds of events planned for the release of Do What You Want. Signings, shows, you name it. Then COVID-19 happened and everything got canceled.
Considering all the awful shit that happening in the world and the awful shit to come, that was the right thing to do. There are no guarantees in this life except death, taxes, and people saying dumb shit on the internet.
I’m a big believer in celebrating every milestone, big or small, so yesterday I went out with a friend (Hi John) and ate a pile of oysters. Sure I could have waited until the official release date but what if the coronavirus has other plans? What if I get hit by a bus? What if what if what if…
Don’t wait to celebrate. That’s my motto. I’m going to be doing a lot of celebrating the next few weeks. In that spirit, I want to use this space to give a shout to someone who made Corporate Rock Sucks possible. That’s right, I’m talking about this guy:
Keith Morris was a student at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. He loved making art, listening to music, and getting absolutely shipwrecked. He befriended a customer at the record store where he worked and they went to see Thin Lizzy and Journey together. Afterward, they decided to form a band. The rest is history.
Keith Morris is the founding vocalist of Black Flag. In the photo above he’s performing at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach on July 22, 1979. This photo was taken by Spot who was writing music reviews and taking pictures for the local paper, which was just one of the many jobs Spot had. The photo also happens to be one of 50 I licensed for Corporate Rock Sucks.
Things did not work out between Keith and Black Flag and he left the band. See this photo of Black Flag with Keith Morris?
It was taken during a show at Mabuhay Gardens after he left the band and started the Circle Jerks. Why would Keith drive 400 miles for a show with his old band? Because Keith is a stand-up guy.
Full disclaimer: I’m not 1000% sure if this photo was taken during one of the gigs Keith played with Black Flag after he left the band, but the fact of the matter is it happened. Keith played handful of shows after her left Black Flag, including one at the Mab in San Francisco, as a favor to his old bandmates.
With the Circle Jerks, Keith cemented his place as one of the best hardcore vocalists of all time. Black Flag introduced a psychological dimension to punk rock that was new and exciting, and Keith was the perfect instrument for that, but with the Circle Jerks he captured the frustration so many felt at the status quo of the early ’80s. No one was better at building up that feeling to the breaking point, and he did it in a way that was uniquely his own. In a genre that spawned a thousand clones, Keith’s vocal style and signature sound are instantly recognizable.
But this isn’t Keith’s life story. It’s an appreciation. So let’s fast forward a few decades to when I first met Keith. I’ve written about the time I organized a reading with a lineup that included Keith and Brendan Mullen—the creator of the infamous Masque who went on to book bands at the Whisky and Club Lingerie; write books about LA punk, the Darby Crash, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; and serve as a celebrity DJ at punk performances.
Keith was going to write a book with Mullen and when Mullen passed away, Keith thought his chance to write a book died with his old friend. Thankfully, Da Capo Books was able to convince him that wasn’t the case and Keith and I started work on My Damage, which, by the way, was Keith’s idea. When I suggested “Jerk Off” Keith said. “I think we can do better than that.” That’s Keith in a nutshell. Instead of telling me that my idea was rude or just plain dumb, he was diplomatic.
Keith is an outstanding creative collaborator. Keith cared about the project. We met on an almost weekly basis. We met at his apartment in Los Feliz. I was working remotely at the time and if I had to take a meeting it was never an issue. On one hot stuff spring afternoon I fell asleep while he was telling a story. Instead of getting mad, we went out for coffee. We often started our sessions with lunch or would take a break for coffee and the man would not let me pick up the bill and he was always a generous tipper.
When summer came and his apartment got too hot to work in, he arranged for us to have a temporary office in the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, which was run by his friend Flea of RHCP. The building was being renovated but there was a delay in construction so the offices were empty. We were able to use an air-conditioned office that had been occupied by K.K. Barrett of the Weirdos. All we had was a table and a couple of chairs, but it was plenty comfortable. In fact, I even slept there on a few occasions.
Sometimes we took field trips around Los Angeles. Keith felt like going to some of his old haunts would trigger memories, and they did. In fact, the stories flowed in between places and I learned to keep the tape recorder running in the car because I never knew when an old storefront or intersection would spur a story. We went to Chinatown, Hollywood, and Hermosa Beach where he muttered, over and over again, “Look at this fucking shit.” We even went to the Pink House in Inglewood where he used to live and the Circle Jerks rehearsed in the garage.
Keith cared about the project. Everywhere we went people recognized Keith. That didn’t surprise me. What surprised me was how often people asked him for things. Not only autographs and photos, but serious asks. People hit him for benefit shows. They wanted him to support their charitable event/art opening/new business. The man couldn’t walk down the street without being asked to donate his time, money, or music to some cause. He handled it all with grace. He told me that sometimes he can be rude when his blood sugar is crashing and he needs to eat something and can’t stop for chitchat but I never witnessed it. I’ve never been big on taking photos with famous people but after my experience with Keith I don’t ask people I don’t know for anything because they get enough of that shit on the daily.
Keith’s commitment to the project didn’t waver when the book was in production or after it came out. I’ve heard horror stories from other collaborators, ghost writers, and editors whose clients disappeared after the check cleared. Keith read the manuscript over and over again. He found typos that even the proofreaders missed.
Keith is full of surprises. When we talk on the phone he tells me stories I’ve never heard before and he’s got opinions on a wide variety of subjects. When Keith calls, he always asks about my wife and daughter, even when he’s leaving a message. Keith is always thinking about other people. He showed up early for a reading I organized and not only did he help set up the chairs he went next door and bought bottled water for all the readers. He doesn’t have kids but he’s a joy to watch when he’s around children, who don’t know what to make of his long dreadlocks. When he’s goofing off with kids, I see the version of Keith that emerges in photos from his days in the Circle Jerks when he’s making faces for the camera.
I couldn’t be happier for the success that Keith is enjoying now with the Circle Jerks global reunion tour. I think the secret to Keith’s success is he takes his art very seriously but he doesn’t take himself seriously, like at all. He’s that rare public figure who is more focused on others than himself. I’ve seen him get in arguments on social media with people who run down other musicians. He’ll defend them with an ardor that’s surprising considering that if the comments were about him he wouldn’t even bother to read them much less respond.
I can’t wait to talk with Keith about Corporate Rock Sucks. We’re going to have a Zoom call on Sunday April 17. We’ll talk about the Circle Jerks tour, Corporate Rock Sucks, and pretty much whatever Keith wants to talk about. The conversation is NOT open to the public, but you can sit in by preordering Corporate Rock Sucks and registering your purchase with the publisher.
I’ve always loved Keith as a performer, but I love him as a person too. I hope you’ll join me in the Keith Morris love fest on April 17!
