Misfits, The

The Misfits were formed in New Jersey in 1977 by Jerry Only (born Gerald Caiafa) and Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Anzalone) and, like many other aspiring new wave acts, played in venues such as CBGBs in NYC, adding guitarist Bobby Steele and drummer Joey Image (real name Joey Poole).

Cough/Cool became their first single (on their own Plan 9 label) in 1977, followed by a four-track EP, Bullet (in a sleeve showing the assassination of John F Kennedy) and a single, Horror Business.

A third single, Night Of The Living Dead, surfaced in 1979, followed by the EP Three Hits From Hell (1980).

Guitarist Bobby Steele was replaced by Jerry’s brother, Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (real name Paul Caiafa), and Arthur Googy (real name Joseph McGuckin) stepped in on drums during a European tour with The Damned as Joey Image’s narcotic problems worsened.

The Misfits rounded off 1981 by recording the seven-track mini-album Evilive, sold via their fan club (‘The Fiend Club’).

On 29 October 1983, The Misfits played their annual Halloween performance at Greystone Hall in Detroit where Danzig announced to the audience that it would be the band’s final show. Upon returning to Lodi the band members went their separate ways.

Long after their demise, their obscure US-only records were fetching large sums of money in collecting circles, snapped up by those fascinated by the band’s spine-chilling mix of horror movie imagery and hardcore.

The Caiafa brothers re-formed The Misfits in the 1990s.

Glenn Danzig (Glenn Allen Anzalone)
Vocals
Jerry Only (Gerald Caiafa)
Bass, vocals
Bobby Steele
Guitar
Joey Image (Joey Poole)
Drums
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (Paul Caiafa)
Guitar
Arthur Googy (Joseph McGuckin)
Drums
Robo (Julio Roberto Valverde Valencia)
Drums