GG Allin

Allin was born Jesus Christ Allin at Weeks Memorial Hospital in Lancaster, New Hampshire, the younger of two sons born to Merle Colby Allin Sr. (1923–2001) and Arleta Gunther (1936–2019).

He was given this name because his father told his wife that Jesus Christ had visited him, and told him that his newborn son would be a great man in the vein of the Messiah.

During early childhood, Allin's older brother Merle Jr. was unable to pronounce "Jesus" properly and called him "Jeje", which became "GG".

Allin's family lived in a log cabin with no running water or electricity in Groveton, New Hampshire.

His father was an abusive religious fanatic who threatened his family with death, digging graves in their cellar and threatening to fill them in the near future.

In an essay titled "The First Ten Years", Allin wrote that Merle Sr. wanted to kill his family in a murder–suicide.

He "despised pleasure" and allowed his family "very little contact with others".

They lived a "primitive existence" and "were more like prisoners than a family".

Allin also stated that his mother attempted to escape before she filed for divorce, but Merle Sr. thwarted the attempt by kidnapping Allin.

Allin said that he was glad to experience such an upbringing, and that it "made [him] a warrior soul at an early age."

Kevin Michael "GG" Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin; August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993) was an American punk rock musician who performed and recorded with many groups during his career.

His live performances often featured transgressive acts, including self-mutilation, defecating on stage, and assaulting audience members, for which he was arrested and imprisoned on multiple occasions.

AllMusic called him "the most spectacular degenerate in rock n' roll history", while G4TV's That's Tough labelled him the "toughest rock star in the world".

Known more for his notorious stage antics than his music, Allin recorded prolifically, not only in the punk rock genre, but also in spoken word, country, and more traditional-style rock.

His lyrics often expressed themes of violence and misanthropy.

Allin's music was often poorly recorded and produced, given limited distribution, and met with mostly negative reviews from critics, although he maintained a cult following throughout and after his career.

Allin's earliest musical influences were 1960s British Invasion bands including Mott the Hoople and the Dave Clark Five.

In 1961, Arleta filed for divorce from Merle Sr., as his mental instability was worsening.

Allin and his brother were from that time raised by their mother and stepfather, and settled in East St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in 1966.

Allin, a poor student, was placed in special education classes and required to repeat the third grade.

According to his older brother, he experienced bullying by fellow students for nonconformity.

In his second year of high school, he began attending school cross-dressed, which he said was inspired by the New York Dolls.

When asked about his childhood, Allin said that it was "very chaotic. Full of chances and dangers. We sold drugs, stole, broke into houses, cars. Did whatever we wanted to for the most part – including all the bands we played in. People even hated us back then."

In the early 1970s, Alice Cooper became an important influence on Allin.

Allin's earliest recorded musical endeavors were as a drummer.

He also wrote most of his songs on an acoustic guitar.

In his mid-teens, he and his older brother Merle, who plays bass guitar, formed their first band, Little Sister's Date, which lasted a little over a year.

The group covered songs by Aerosmith, Kiss, and other popular rock bands of the time period.

Both Allin and Merle gained a strong interest in punk rock.

The MC5 and the Stooges were major influences on Allin.

He graduated from Concord High School in Concord, Vermont, in 1975, and shortly after formed the band Malpractice with his older brother, local musician Jeff Penney, and Brian Demurs (a high school friend).

Allin played the drums for Malpractice until the band separated in 1977.

From September 1977 to April 1984, he fronted the Jabbers.

Allin's 1980 debut album was Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be for Orange Records.

In addition to singing, he played drums on most tracks.

The Jabbers disbanded the spring of 1984.

Allin promised for several years that he would commit suicide on stage during one of his concerts, but he instead died from a drug overdose on June 28, 1993, at age 36.

It would be reissued for the first time on CD in 1995 by the Halycon imprint.

At one point, industry veteran and the Dead Boys producer Genya Ravan served as his manager.

Tension within the Jabbers mounted as Allin grew uncontrollable, uncompromising, and vicious.