Who We Are: The Detroit Brothers Behind A Band Called Death
If you've seen the documentary A Band Called Death, you know the story stays with you. If you haven't, here's a short guide to the band behind the name, from us.
Who is in Death?
We are three brothers from Detroit: Bobby Hackney on bass and vocals, David Hackney on guitar and Dannis Hackney on drums. We formed the band in 1971. We started out playing funk, then switched to hard rock after seeing the Who and Alice Cooper live.
Why are we called Death?
The name was David's idea, after we lost our father. As Bobby put it, David's concept was "spinning death from the negative to the positive". It was a hard sell, but David held on to it.
The record deal that wasn't
In 1975 we recorded seven songs at United Sound in Detroit. Columbia's Clive Davis backed the session but wanted us to change the name. We said no, and the deal ended. In 1976 we put out one single on our own: Politicians in My Eyes.
How was Death found again?
The tapes waited for decades. Record collectors, and Bobby's own sons, who had started a band to play their dad's songs, brought the music back. In 2009 Drag City released the 1975 recordings as ...For the Whole World to See, and in 2012 the documentary A Band Called Death told the story on screen.
Wear the story
Every piece at A Band Called Death Merch comes on tees, hoodies, sweatshirts and kids' sizes. Whether you found us through the film or the record, there's something here for you.