JFA | |
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Origin |
Phoenix, Arizona; Southern California |
Genres | Skate punk, hardcore punk |
Years active | 1981 | –present
Labels | DC-Jam Records |
Associated acts | Black Flag, D.O.A. |
Website | jfamusic |
Members | Carter Blitch Brian Brannon Don Pendleton Corey Stretz |
Past members | Todd Barnes (deceased) Alan Bishop Scott "Sketch" Chasen Michael Cornelius Bob Cox Brian Damage Trace Element Matt Etheridge Jim Moore Don "dred" Pendelton Al Penzone Jaime Reidling Mike "Bam-Bam" Sversvold Bruce Taylor Mike Tracy |
JFA (Jodie Foster's Army) is a hardcore punk band formed in 1981, with roots in Arizona and in Southern California skateboard culture. The original members include Brian Brannon (vocals), Don "Redondo" Pendleton (guitar), Michael Cornelius (bass), and Mike "Bam-Bam" Sversvold (drums). Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls also played bass for a while. The band was pivotal in the development of the skate punk and Skate Rock scenes. Over the years, the lineup has included many bass players and drummers but the core of Brannon and Redondo has remained constant.
JFA was formed in April 1981, 19 days after the failed attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr. Hinckley, an obsessed fan of Jodie Foster and her portrayal of a teen prostitute in the 1976 Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver, reportedly attempted to kill the President as a means of impressing the actress. The band's name was thus a dark play on Hinckley's attempt at murdering Reagan — a hated figure in the early 1980s punk rock scene.
Don Pendleton, then in the band The Deez and Cornelius, then in the band Jr. Chemists, knew each other from shows around Phoenix, Arizona and from skateboarding. They began playing together after a D.O.A. concert during the band's Hardcore 81 tour. Bam-Bam later joined after meeting Pendleton at an "Industrial Dance" in Phoenix. Brian Brannon was pulled into the band by Cornelius who met him skateboarding and at punk shows.
The band's first show was opening for Black Flag at an Industrial Dance which was one of a series of early Phoenix punk shows. Their first song of the night was "Pipetruck".