Fishbone

Biography

Fishbone is an American rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, by a group of junior high school students from South Central Los Angeles who met Angelo Moore through a school busing program to the San Fernando Valley. The original lineup included bassist John Norwood Fisher, his brother Philip 'Fish' Fisher on drums, Angelo Moore on vocals and saxophones, guitarist Kendall Jones, trumpeter 'Dirty' Walter A. Kibby II, and Christopher Dowd on keyboards and trombone. Emerging from diverse backgrounds, they rejected gangster culture and fused ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul into a high-energy sound that broke into the predominantly white punk scene via explosive live shows at venues like Madame Wong's.[1][2][5]

Signed to Columbia Records in 1983 after being spotted by Brian O'Neal of The BusBoys, Fishbone released their debut EP in 1985 and full-length album In Your Face in 1986, gaining traction with tours opening for Beastie Boys and performances like 'Jamaica Ska' in Back to the Beach. Their 1988 album Truth and Soul earned critical acclaim for blending ska-funk with sharp social commentary on racism, oppression, and family breakdown, while The Reality of My Surroundings (1991) hit No. 49 on the Billboard chart with MTV hits like 'Everyday Sunshine' directed by Spike Lee. The band evolved toward guitar-driven rock and soul, achieving cult status but facing lineup changes after peak success in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1][4][5]

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, John Norwood Fisher and Angelo Moore remained core members amid departures, with partial original lineup reunions for tours commemorating albums like Chim Chim's Badass Revenge. Recent shifts include Philip Fisher's 2016 return and 2023 exits of Fisher and Kibby due to creative disputes, leaving Moore as the sole continuous member. Fishbone's legacy endures as pioneers of genre fusion, influencing alternative rock despite commercial challenges and internal conflicts.[1][2]

Fun Facts

• Fishbone formed through a 1970s Los Angeles school busing program for desegregation, bringing South Central kids together with San Fernando Valley native Angelo Moore in a bedroom dubbed 'the aquarium'.[1][5]
• They won a battle of the bands and signed to Columbia while still teenagers, rejecting gangster culture for a punk-funk fusion.[5]
• Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers taught bassist John Norwood Fisher to surf during their early tours.[5]
• In 2023, John Norwood Fisher and Walter Kibby left due to songwriting disputes, leaving Angelo Moore as the only member present throughout the band's history.[1]

Members

• Kendall Jones (from 1979 until 1993)
• Christopher Dowd (from 1979 until 1994)
• Fish (from 1979 until 1998)
• Walter Adam Kibby II (from 1979 until 2003)
• John Norwood Fisher (from 1979)
• Angelo Moore (from 1979)
• John Bigham (from 1989 until 1997)
• André Holmes - trumpet (from 2004 until 2011)
• Christopher Dowd (from 2018)
• Marlon M. Williams (until 1988)
• Rocky George
• Drè Gipson
• Joe McCreary
• Spacey T.
• Anthony Brewster

Original Members

• John Norwood Fisher
• Angelo Moore
• Christopher Dowd

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Brian O'Neal (The BusBoys) - Discovered the band at a club gig and facilitated their signing to Columbia Records (Led to 1985 EP Fishbone) [1983]

Key Collaborators

• John Bigham - Former Miles Davis sideman added as guitarist and keyboardist (Albums post-1989, returned for 2017 tours) [1989-1990s, 2017]
• Rocky George (Suicidal Tendencies) - Guitarist who joined post-2003 lineup changes (Band reformation albums and tours) [2003-2017]
• Kendall Jones - Founding guitarist (Early albums like In Your Face (1986)) [1979-1990s]
• Philip 'Fish' Fisher - Founding drummer, brother of John Norwood Fisher (Original lineup, returned for reunions) [1979-1998, 2016-present]
• Christopher Dowd - Founding keyboardist/trombonist (Early career, post-hiatus involvement) [1979-1990s, 2010s]
• Walter A. Kibby II ('Dirty Walt') - Founding trumpeter/vocalist (Early albums, departed 2003) [1979-2003]

Artists Influenced

• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Formed friendships early on; Flea credits Fishbone's influence and taught Norwood Fisher to surf (Toured together in 1980s) [1980s]
• No Doubt - Gwen Stefani cites Fishbone's impact on the music scene (General stylistic influence on ska-punk) [1980s-1990s]
• Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) - Praised Fishbone's role in desegregating alternative scenes (Documentary Everyday Sunshine testimonials) [1980s-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #80s, #90s, #funk