His erratic exploits landed him in jail on more than one occasion (during a 1995 gig in Kansas, H.R. When he did appear with Bad Brains, he’d sometimes just stare into the crowd with a blank expression and refuse to perform. was suffering from schizophrenia ran rampant, while his embrace of Rastafarianism trumped his desire to play punk rock. Subsequently, Bad Brains’ fifth studio album, Rise (1993), was released without H.R. His frequent outbursts and bizarre behavior was causing tension within the group, making it increasingly difficult to project any semblance of a cohesive band. short for “Human Rights” - was falling apart at the seams. As the band’s stock began to rise, albums like 1983’s Rock for Light (produced by The Cars’ Ric Ocasek), 1986’s I Against I, and 1989’s Quickness further solidified Bad Brains’ place in punk-rock history.īut H.R. After relocating to New York City in 1981, Bad Brains became frequent guests at CBGBs and 171-A Studios in Alphabet City. due to their hyperkinetic frontman and equally chaotic crowds. The song came about after the group was unofficially “banned” from nearly every club in D.C. Widely credited as pioneers of hardcore punk, Bad Brains’ 1982 self-titled debut (also known as The Yellow Tape or Attitude: The ROIR Sessions) included frenetic cuts like “Sailin’ On’” and “Attitude” juxtaposed with the abruptly downtempo reggae of “Jah Calling” and “I Luv I Jah.”īut “Banned in D.C.,” another raucous punk-rock anthem from the LP, summed up the band’s ethos - at least at the time. A fusion of punk, reggae, and heavy metal, Bad Brains’ all-Black lineup was a trailblazing first, setting the stage for numerous acts to follow. Know joined forces to form what would become Washington, D.C.’s most explosive hardcore band. “I was a little lethargic and despondent after canceling the tour,” he says, “but I just kept my head up and rose above it.”īAD BRAINS STRUCK LIKE A lightning bolt in 1977 after Paul “H.R.” Hudson, his drummer brother Earl Hudson, bassist Darryl Jenifer, and a guitarist known as Dr. Instead, it left him in debt, a financial situation only exacerbated when the headaches forced the cancellation of his 2023 tour.īut H.R. that in 2017 he underwent brain surgery to try to alleviate the pain. SUNCT headaches - Short-lasting Unilateral Neuralgiform with Conjunctival injection and Tearing - have been so debilitating to H.R. The pain is so severe that the 67-year-old, born Paul Hudson, spends most of his days curled up in bed, dreading the arrival of the next wave. “Then it goes away - and then it comes back.” “I have sharp, stabbing pains every couple of minutes in my brain for a couple of hours,” H.R. has been suffering from an excruciating type of rare head affliction known as SUNCT headaches that leave him all but devastated. That’s become the tragic routine of H.R., the mesmerizing singer of influential hardcore band Bad Brains.
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