Jerry Only

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Jerry Only
MisfitsKubana.JPG
Only performing in 2013
Background information
Birth nameGerald Caiafa Jr. [1]
Born (1959-04-21) April 21, 1959 (age 64)
Lodi, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Horror punk, punk rock, heavy metal
Occupation(s)Musician, singer
Instrument(s)Bass, vocals
Years active1977–present

Gerald Caiafa Jr. (born April 21, 1959), better known by his stage name Jerry Only, is an American musician, best known as the bassist for the Misfits and later the vocalist as well. [2] [3] He is the only member to appear in every Misfits lineup. [4] [5]

Contents

Biography

Misfits

Only in 2008 Jerry Only live with the Misifts, Sala Copernico, Madrid, 2008-04-23 (3).jpg
Only in 2008

Gerald Caiafa Jr. was born in Lodi, New Jersey. He started The Misfits with Glenn Danzig on vocals and Manny on drums in 1977, just a few months after receiving his first bass as a late Christmas present. He would work at his father's machine shop during the week to help finance the band and play shows on the weekend. This would go on for several years and the band split due to differences between Danzig and the rest of the band. During this downtime, Only and his brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (guitarist in the 1980-1983 lineup of the Misfits) formed Kryst The Conqueror. In 1995, Only settled a legal battle out of court with co-founder Glenn Danzig, allowing him rights to the Misfits' name on a performing level, while they split the money on merchandising. He reformed the band with Doyle, vocalist Michale Graves, and drummer Dr. Chud.

Chud and Graves left the group in 2000 to form Graves. In reaction to the loss of members, Doyle left the Misfits. Graves, Doyle and Chud were replaced on the M25 tour by Dez Cadena, formerly of Black Flag and DC3, on guitar and Marky Ramone, formerly of The Ramones, on drums. Only took up the singing duties from this point till the present date. In early 2005, Marky left the group and Only brought in ex-Misfit and Black Flag drummer ROBO to rejoin the group. A new album was recorded in 2010 in Colorado entitled The Devil's Rain which was released in October 2011. A single, "Land of the Dead", was released at the mischief night show 2009 at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ.

In 2013, Only and the Misfits released a new album entitled DEAD ALIVE! recorded live at several shows.

In 2017, the reunited lineup performed two additional concerts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 28 and The Forum in Inglewood, California on December 30. [6] They also performed at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 19, 2018. [7] [8]

World Championship Wrestling

In 1999, Only and the rest of the then Misfits lineup had a brief stint in World Championship Wrestling when they aligned with wrestler Vampiro. Only participated in probably the most memorable match of the Misfits' time when he fought Dr. Death in a steel cage match. Only was dominated in the match but Death was distracted when the rest of the Misfits interfered and attacked his manager Oklahoma (a parody of Jim Ross), pouring barbecue sauce in his eyes. Only won the match after being accidentally Irish whipped through the cage door by Dr. Death.

Only/Danzig lawsuit

On May 6, 2014, it was announced that Glenn Danzig had filed a lawsuit against Jerry Only, claiming Only registered trademarks for everything Misfits-related in 2000 behind Danzig's back, misappropriating exclusive ownership over the trademarks for himself, including the band's iconic "Crimson Ghost" logo. Danzig claims that this violated a 1994 contract the two had. Danzig says that after registering the trademarks, Only secretly entered into deals with various merchandisers and cut him out of any potential profits in the process. He said that Only has purposefully led merchandisers, including Hot Topic, to believe that they are legally bound not to accept licenses to exploit the Marks from Danzig or his designees, and Only continues to do so. He said that through this, Only has caused merchandisers not to do business with him and it has deceived consumers as to the source of the merchandise which bore the trademarks. Danzig said a vast majority of the Misfits fans associate the trademarks with the 1977–1983 classic Misfits era when Danzig was a member of the band and not with the current era Misfits. Danzig feels that through false advertising and misrepresentations to merchandisers and consumers it has caused him to suffer damages in excess of $75,000. [9] In August 2014, the judge dismissed the case in favor of Only. In 2017, Darkride Films Interview original drummer Manny Martinez said that from what he remembers, there was no Diane Dipiazza or Jimi Battle in the band. Before The Misfits, Mr. Jim, Diane, and Jimi played in a band with Glenn doing covers, but the original Misfits were Glenn Danzig, Manny Martinez, Jerry Only, and Franche Coma.

Sid Vicious

On 1 February 1979, Only attended a party on Bank Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village and was introduced to Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious who was in town to launch himself as a solo artist. Earlier in the day Vicious had been released on bail from Riker’s Island the alleged murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen who was found stabbed to death at the Chelsea Hotel in October 1978. Only arrived early and was making bolognaise sauce with Vicious' mother, Anne Beverly, but once Vicious' drug-taking friends arrived and started getting high, he left. Later that day he discovered that Vicious had died of an overdose which was widely reported as a suicide. Only maintains that Vicious overdosed accidentally from his tolerance being lower as of the result of having been through rehabilitation whilst in prison. [10]

Discography

The Misfits

Kryst the Conqueror

Osaka Popstar

Solo

Filmography

TV

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misfits (band)</span> American horror punk band

The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Over the next six years, Danzig and bassist Jerry Only were the group's main members through numerous personnel changes. During this period, they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dez Cadena</span> American punk rock singer and guitarist

Dez Cadena is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1980 to 1983. Cadena played guitar with Misfits from 2001 to 2015, initially joining the band alongside Doyle, Jerry Only, and Robo for their 25th Anniversary Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robo (musician)</span> American drummer

Julio Roberto Valverde Valencia, better known by his stage name Robo, is a Colombian-American drummer. He came to prominence in the early 1980s with punk band Black Flag, and more recently has been a member of Misfits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danzig (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Danzig is an American heavy metal band led by former Samhain and Misfits singer Glenn Danzig. Formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey, the group early on became a unique voice in the rock scene, playing a bluesy, doom-laden metal with Glenn Danzig crooning in the style of Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley. Danzig's openly satanic lyrics and image stirred controversy. After a major hit with a live version of its 1988 song "Mother", the band experimented with industrial music but later returned to heavy metal. As of 2023, Danzig has released 12 studio albums, two EPs, one live album, and one compilation album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Danzig</span> American rock musician

Glenn Allen Anzalone, better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns the Evilive record label as well as Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cough/Cool</span> 1977 single by the Misfits

"Cough/Cool" is the first single released by the horror punk band the Misfits. It was released in August 1977 on singer Glenn Danzig's label Blank Records. 500 copies were produced on black 7" vinyl. Both songs from the single were re-recorded and re-released in various versions over the following twenty years.

<i>12 Hits from Hell</i> 2001 studio album by the Misfits

12 Hits from Hell is a cancelled studio album by American horror punk band the Misfits. It was recorded in 1980 but went unreleased. Caroline Records attempted to release it in 2001, but band members Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only called off production and the album was scrapped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dig Up Her Bones</span> 1997 single by the Misfits

"Dig Up Her Bones" is the seventh single by the punk rock band the Misfits. It was the first single released by the re-formed lineup of the band, after the original incarnation broke up in 1983. It was the only single released from their 1997 album American Psycho, and the accompanying music video was the first official Misfits music video ever released.

<i>American Psycho</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Misfits

American Psycho is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Misfits. Released on May 13, 1997, it was the first to be recorded and released without the band's founder and former leader Glenn Danzig. Bassist Jerry Only, after years of litigation, reached a settlement with Danzig and was granted the rights to use the band's name and image to record and perform. The album also marked the addition of singer Michale Graves and Dr. Chud on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michale Graves</span> American singer

Michael Emanuel, better known by his stage name Michale Graves, is an American singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist for the 1990s re-incarnation of the horror punk band Misfits from 1995 to 2000, leaving briefly in 1998. He has also released several albums as a solo artist.

<i>Evillive II</i> 1998 live album by the Misfits

Evilive II is a 1998 live album by the American punk rock band Misfits. Featuring the "resurrected" Misfits lineup of vocalist Michale Graves, bassist Jerry Only, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, and drummer Dr. Chud, the album was recorded between October 1997 and March 1998 at a number of concerts in the United States. The album was released on CD by Caroline Records on August 14, 1998, and was made exclusively available through the official Misfits' fan club, known as "the Fiend Club", and was also sold on tour. The CD has since gone out-of-print.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein</span> American guitarist

Paul Caiafa, known professionally as Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, is an American guitarist best known for his material with the horror punk band the Misfits and his own band eponymously named Doyle.

David Calabrese, known professionally as Dr. Chud, is an American horror punk drummer best known for his work with the Misfits.

<i>The Misfits</i> (album) 1996 box set by the Misfits

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Lodi High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Lodi, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Lodi Public Schools. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Be a NY Ranger</span> 1998 single by the Misfits

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorgeous Frankenstein</span> American horror punk/metal band

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misfits discography</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doyle (band)</span> American horror punk band

Doyle is an American horror punk band formed from Gorgeous Frankenstein in 2012 by Misfits lead guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein and Cancerslug frontman Alex Story who also sang in Gorgeous Frankenstein. Their debut album Abominator was released in 2013 through Monsterman Records, Doyle's own label.

References

  1. "Doyle: Metal's Vegan Monster". The Reader. November 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  2. Huey, Steve. "Biography: Misfits". AMG . Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  3. "The Original Misfits to play Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union this summer". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  4. Correspondent, AL com and Press-Register (November 2, 2011). "Jerry Only: Misfits still proud to be 'underdog' band". al. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  5. Blabbermouth (May 13, 2016). "JERRY ONLY Talks GLENN DANZIG's Return To MISFITS: 'We Were Never Not Friends'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  6. "Watch Reunited MISFITS Perform At Forum In Los Angeles". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. December 31, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  7. "Original Misfits announce New Jersey show with Suicidal Tendencies and Murphy's Law". Vanyaland. January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  8. "1st 'original Misfits' N.J. concert in a generation was the long-awaited rage fest we hoped for: review". NJ.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  9. "GLENN DANZIG Sues MISFITS' JERRY ONLY Over HOT TOPIC Deal". Blabbermouth.net. May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  10. Everley, Dave (May 15, 2020). "Misfits' Jerry Only: I partied with Sid Vicious the night he died". Louder Sound. Metal Hammer. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  11. Brown, Marisa. "Biograph: Osaka Popstar". AMG . Retrieved May 18, 2010.

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