List of Circle Jerks band members
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Circlejerks1_%28cropped%29.jpg/200px-Circlejerks1_%28cropped%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Circle_Jerks_LFK_2022-03-21.jpg/200px-Circle_Jerks_LFK_2022-03-21.jpg)
The Circle Jerks are an American punk rock band which consists of vocalist Keith Morris and guitarist Greg Hetson (both since 1979) alongside bassist Zander Schloss (since 1983), and drummer Joey Castillo (since 2019). The band was formed in Southern California in 1979, and originally comprised Morris, Hetson, Roger Rogerson on bass and Lucky Lehrer on drums.
History
The first Circle Jerks lineup released three albums (including their 1980 debut Group Sex), before Rogerson and Lehrer were kicked out of the band in 1983 and replaced by Earl Liberty and Chuck Biscuits respectively. This lineup lasted only a year, and the Circle Jerks hired Zander Schloss and Keith Clark as Liberty and Biscuits' replacements. The new lineup, consisting of Morris, Hetson, Schloss and Clark, recorded two more albums before the Circle Jerks split up for the first time in 1990, when Hetson left to concentrate on Bad Religion, which he had joined a few years before.
A long period of inactivity ended in 1994, when the Circle Jerks, with the 1984-1990 lineup, reunited and signed a major label deal with Mercury Records, a move that had a few business complications: Hetson was still with Bad Religion, who had signed a long-term contract with Atlantic Records, while Schloss had been part of a band contracted to Interscope. After ironing out these difficulties, the band recorded Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities and released it in the summer of 1995, but broke up once again. Reasons for this breakup were essentially the same as they were in 1990.
A second Circle Jerks reunion occurred in 2001. Participating this time were Morris, Hetson, Schloss and Kevin Fitzgerald, who filled in on drums for Clark, who at that time had retired from the music business. Tensions among its members and failed attempts to record the follow-up to Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities resulted in the Circle Jerks breaking up yet again in 2011. The band announced in November 2019 that they would reunite in 2020 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Group Sex with live shows.[1]
Members
Current
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Keith Morris |
| lead vocals | all Circle Jerks releases |
![]() | Greg Hetson |
| ||
![]() | Zander Schloss |
|
|
|
![]() | Joey Castillo | 2019–present |
| none to date |
Former
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Roger Rogerson | 1979–1983 (died 1996) |
|
| |
![]() | Lucky Lehrer |
| ||
Chuck Biscuits | 1983–1984 | Repo Man soundtrack (1984) | ||
Earl Liberty |
| |||
Keith Clark |
|
|
| |
Kevin Fitzgerald | 2001–2010 |
| I'm Gonna Live - single (2007) |
Touring
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Charlie Quintana | 1981 (East Coast tour) (died 2018) | drums | none | |
John Ingram | 1983 (also performed on Golden Shower of Hits sessions) | |||
![]() | Flea | 1984 | bass | |
![]() | Chris Poland | 1988 | ||
Ted Pittman | 1988–1989 | |||
Doug Carrion | 1989 |
Timeline
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/1bcgzs18evx2q5rihczyry6sb5b6scj.png)
References
- ^ "Circle Jerks reforming for 40th anniversary of 'Group Sex,' playing Punk Rock Bowling". Brooklyn Vegan. November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- v
- t
- e
- Lucky Lehrer
- Earl Liberty
- Chuck Biscuits
- Kevin Fitzgerald
- Group Sex
- Wild in the Streets
- Golden Shower of Hits
- Wonderful
- VI
- Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities
- Discography
- List of band members
- Bad Religion
- Black Flag
- Black President
- Off!