| Joe Keithley | |
|---|---|
Joey Keithley playing in Montreal with D.O.A. 2010. |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joey Keighley |
| Also known as | Joey Shithead |
| Born | June 3, 1956 Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | Punk |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | Sudden Death Records |
| Associated acts | D.O.A. The Skulls Band of Rebels[1] |
Joey "Shithead" Keithley (born Joey Keighley; June 3, 1956) [2] is a punk musician with the band D.O.A..[3] He was raised in Burnaby,[4] British Columbia, Canada, and attended Burnaby North Secondary. At age 11, he began playing drums.[5] He would later take up the guitar and vocals. He owns and operates his own record company, Sudden Death Records.[6] The recording company was started in 1978 as a DIY response to lack of interest from major labels. His motto is 'TALK-ACTION=ZERO.'[4]
In 1977, Keithley, along with Chuck Biscuits' older brother, started a band called the Skulls.[7] After the breakup of the Skulls, Keithley formed D.O.A. with Biscuits. In 1990 D.O.A. briefly disbanded, and in that time Keithley started a band called Joey Keithley's Instinct.[8] However, Keithley quickly turned back to D.O.A, re-constructing the line-up and releasing a new album.
D.O.A. are known for playing peace rallies and environmental events. Keithley has been increasingly interested in politics, saying that shows where he can make a difference are more rewarding. In university, he planned to become a civil rights lawyer, but was sidetracked into music.[9] In 1996 and 2001, Keithley ran in the British Columbia provincial elections for the Green Party of British Columbia.[10] In 2001, he received the highest percentage of the vote next to party leader Adriane Carr.
In 2004, he published the autobiography I, Shithead: A Life in Punk.[11] He was also inducted into the Canadian Independent Music Hall of Fame.[4] He has also done solo work, releasing a mix of music and spoken word. In 1999, he released his first solo record, Beat Trash. This was followed by "Band of Rebels" in 2007.[1][12]
Keithley appeared in the punk/cult film Terminal City Ricochet, as well as contributing music (through D.O.A.) to the soundtrack.[13] He was interviewed for a documentary titled Let's All Hate Toronto, produced by Elevator Films and published by The Disinformation Company. In 2006, Keithley was featured prominently in the feature-length documentary American Hardcore.[4] Keithley was also featured in the 2010 documentary Open Your Mouth And Say... Mr. Chi Pig, a film that looks at the life of Mr. Chi Pig of SNFU, produced by Prairie Coast Films.
In 2008, The Vancouver Sun newspaper named Keithley one of British Columbia's most influential people of all time.[14]
During D.O.A.'s 2011 Canadian tour, Keithley gave free solo acoustic performances in 3 of the tent cities that had appeared across Canada in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests, occupy ottawa, occupy regina and occupy vancouver.[15]
Keithley has three children, which he says has added to his motivation for activism.[8]
He was born Keighley (with a "g") but changed his name to Keithley because people couldn't pronounce it correctly.