Cause of death revealed for Dead Kennedys’ D.H Peligro
Last October, punk legends the Dead Kennedys announced the death of their drummer, D.H Peligro, and initially revealed, “Police on the scene stated that he died from trauma to the head caused by an accidental fall.”
However, it has now come to light that no evidence of an injury was found in the autopsy. Rather, Peligro’s cause of death has been identified as the “combined effects of fentanyl and heroin,” according to TMZ. His autopsy also revealed that the musician had non-small cell lung cancer, although this is not believed to have contributed to his death.
Peligro replaced original Dead Kennedys drummer Bruce Slesinger after he left the band to pursue his interest in architecture. He first appeared on the band’s 1981 EP, In God We Trust, Inc, and remained with the band until they broke up in 1986.
After their split, Peligro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a year before he was fired for substance abuse. When the Dead Kennedys reunited in 2001, Peligro drummed with them until his death, aged 63.
Upon the announcement of his passing, Chili’s bassist Flea shared on Instagram, “My dear friend, my brother I miss you so much. I’m devastated today, a river of tears, but all my life I will treasure every second. The first time I saw you play with the DK’s in ’81 you blew my mind. The power, the soul, the recklessness. You became my beloved friend, so many times of every kind.”
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