Ron Reyes
Ron Reyes | |
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![]() Reyes performing with Black Flag in 2013 | |
Background information | |
Also known as | Chavo Pederast |
Born |
[1] Puerto Rico[2] | July 24, 1960
Genres | Punk rock, hardcore punk |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, drummer, guitarist |
Instruments | Vocals, drums, guitar |
Years active | 1980–present |
Labels | SST |
Associated acts | Black Flag, the Ron Reyes band, PIGGY |
Ron Reyes (born July 24, 1960 in Puerto Rico)[1][2][3] is a North American musician most noted as the second singer for the Los Angeles punk rock group Black Flag. Reyes joined Black Flag after original vocalist Keith Morris had quit to form the Circle Jerks. Black Flag needed a singer to go on a tour to Vancouver, Canada, and asked Reyes to fill in.[4]
Early life
Ron Reyes was born in Puerto Rico and spent the first years of his life in The Bronx before moving to the Redondo Beach/Torrance area of southern California.[5] His father owned a popular jazz shop in California and Ron grew up listening to his father's record collection. As a boy, Ron would hang out in the streets and listen to Black Sabbath and David Bowie while his friends sniffed glue and smoked cannabis . He remembers himself as an outcast in school, where the jocks would make fun of his KISS inspired glam rock fashion. Despite scorn for his young ideas, an undeterred Ron carried his dreams to reality becoming an early adopter, first to do – invent. And he shared his first experiences at legendary Hollywood punk venues like RAJI'S to his high school friends in Hermosa Beach, spreading the news and unfurling the flag for new local bands to come.
Black Flag
At the time of joining Black Flag, he was a street kid who had been following them since the beginning, and already knew all the songs. He also played drums in an early incarnation of Redd Kross, along with Greg Hetson, who went on to form the Circle Jerks with Keith Morris, and subsequently joined Bad Religion. After touring with the band for less than a year, he left Black Flag in the middle of a show, due to his dissatisfaction with the rising violence in the punk scene.
Reyes was coaxed back into Black Flag long enough to record the Jealous Again EP. He also appeared on some selections included on the 1983 compilation album Everything Went Black. He can be seen in Penelope Spheeris' 1980 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, in which he dedicates the song "Revenge" to the LAPD, and jokingly shows off his apartment, which is a closet. After the recording sessions, Reyes went back to Vancouver and was replaced by singer Dez Cadena.[6]
The Jealous Again EP was released after Reyes had left the band for a final time. On the sleeve, he was credited as "Chavo Pederast", nonstandard Spanish for pedophile.
Recent activity
Reyes performed live in Vancouver in celebration of his 50th birthday in July 2010. Joining him on the bill were The Jolts, The Modernettes, Little Guitar Army, and The Braineaters featuring renowned artist Jim Cummins on lead vocals. Reyes' band consisted of guitarists Kevin Rose from Crash Bang Crunch Pop, and Jon Doe from the Scramblers along with a rhythm section consisting of Real McKenzies founding member Anthony Walker on bass and Scott Beadle on drums. Greg Ginn performed three songs with the Ron Reyes Band at this event: "Jealous Again", "Revenge", and a new, original composition entitled "Broken".
Reyes appeared in the Vancouver-based documentary Bloodied but Unbowed about Vancouver's punk community in the late 1970s and The Other F Word about being a parent involved in the punk community. The film also says Reyes has worked at a Vancouver print shop for more than 20 years and has three teenagers. He is shown browsing records at a used record store in Vancouver with one of his daughters, and purchasing a copy of Jealous Again.[7][8]
Reyes rejoined Black Flag as vocalist for a 2013 tour and appeared on their subsequent album What The....[9]
Reyes currently is performing as the guitarist for PIGGY. Other members of this new project include Izzy Gibson (ex Living Deadbeats) on lead vocals Lisafurr Lloyd (ex Slickjacks; currently in the East Vamps) and on bass guitar; Craig McKimm (Little Guitar Army; The Fiends) on drums.
References
- 1 2 Beadle, Scott. "Ron Reyes 50th Birthday Celebration with the Jolts, Ron Reyes Band, Modernettes, Little Guitar Army, and I Braineater – Rickshaw Theatre (Vancouver BC), July 24, 2010". The Big Takeover. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- 1 2 Stavans, Ilan (29 July 2014). Latin Music: Musicians, Genres, and Themes. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 627. ISBN 978-0-313-34396-4. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
Black Flag, the Los Angeles group often credited with having invented hardcore, featured a pair of Latino musicians: Puerto Rican singer Ron Reyes, who went by the name of 'Chavo Pederast', and Colombian drummer Roberto Valverde, who called himself 'Robo'
- ↑ Avant-Mier, Roberto (6 May 2010). Rock the Nation: Latin/o Identities and the Latin Rock Diaspora. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 158. ISBN 978-1-4411-6797-2. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
Puerto Rican Ron Reyes was at one time a member of Black Flag
- ↑ Blush, Steven; Petros, George (2001). American Hardcore: a Tribal History. Feral House. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-922915-71-2. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
- ↑ Chick, Stevie (2011). Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag. Oakland, CA: PM Press. pp. 119–123. ISBN 978-1-60486-418-2. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ↑ Chick, Stevie (2011). Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag. PM Press. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-60486-418-2. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
- ↑ Barker, Andrew (March 24, 2011). "Review: 'The Other F Word'". Variety. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ↑ Blank TV. "The Other F Word - Ron 'Chavo' Reyes (Teaser) - Rare Bird Films". YouTube. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (November 27, 2013). "Black Flag Singer Ron Reyes Fired Mid-Show". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016.