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Jello Biafra

Free Speech Activist -- Founder of the Dead Kennedys

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Jello Biafra Biography

Engaging and thought provoking, the ranting and intelligent Jello Biafra questions everything that is held sacred. During an average presentation, he will cover censorship, the legalization of drugs for taxable profit and social responsibility, government follies and mistruths, educational overhaul, and why he isn't nostalgic about punk rock's "glory days."

Challenging what you might have thought you held unquestioned and dear to your heart, he takes those beliefs and tears them up, forcing you to rebuild them from scratch.

Born Eric Boucher in Boulder, Colorado, he left town after high school. First, he did what many youth do—he formed a band. He became the leader and vocalist of Dead Kennedys, a pioneering punk rock band featuring smart, political lyrics with furious music.

After first calling himself Occupant, Jello Biafra picked his name at random out of a notebook. Years later, he said he chose it because he "likes the way the two images collide in people's minds."

Jello's controversial spirit raged on as he turned toward social commentary, and ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1979. While he did not win, he became a magnet for the vote of those dissatisfied with the leading candidates. During his campaign he never lost his sense of humor, wearing T-shirts from an opponent’s previous campaign, and vacuuming leaves off another opponent’s front lawn. With 6,591votes, he finished fourth out of ten candidates, with 3.5% of the total vote.

Biafra ranks as the first musician to be put on trial, because of the content of a record album (in 1985, three years before 2 Live Crew). The Frankenchrist album released with his group, Dead Kennedys, contained in its original release a reproduction of a painting by Swiss artist H.R. Geiger. Obscenity charges followed, under the urging of Tipper Gore and the Parent's Music Resource Center, after a woman spotted the record in her daughter's collection.

It was because of this painting that Jello's house in San Francisco was raided and torn apart by a squad of Los Angeles and San Francisco police officers. Former L.A. deputy city attorney Michael Guarino, regrets the episode. Stating, "about midway through the trial we realized that the lyrics of the album were in many ways socially responsible, very anti-drug and pro-individual."

Biafra practices what he preaches by recording albums of his spoken-word pieces on his own record label, Alternative Tentacles. As a devoted advocate of free speech, artistic freedom, and just plain getting your ideas out in the open, he created A.T. as a means for out-of-the-mainstream artists to record and distribute their work.

If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve, is a triple-CD opus which takes on the topics of the media and the Clintons, censorship, and the death-penalty appeal case of journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal.

His album, entitled Become the Media deals with the rise of independent media. Biafra was involved in the Seattle protests of the WTO. He recorded a music EP under the moniker "No WTO Combo" with Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) and Krist Novoselic (Nirvana).

At a past spoken-word show, he said, "One of the worst forms of censorship is what people are not being told." His live performances take that idea head-on, with Biafra weighing in on the entire spectrum of social, political, and artistic topics.

FAQs
  • How do I book Jello Biafra to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jello Biafra for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jello Biafra, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jello Biafra or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Jello Biafra

    Speaking fees for Jello Biafra, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jello Biafra are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jello Biafra, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Jello Biafra speak about?

    Jello Biafra is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Activism, Authors, University Speakers.
  • Where does Jello Biafra travel from?

    Jello Biafra generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Jello Biafra’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Jello Biafra for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jello Biafra for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jello Biafra or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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Users also viewed these speakers:

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Free Speech Activist -- Founder of the Dead Kennedys

Travels From:
San Francisco, CA, USA
Speaking Fee:

Jello Biafra Biography

Engaging and thought provoking, the ranting and intelligent Jello Biafra questions everything that is held sacred. During an average presentation, he will cover censorship, the legalization of drugs for taxable profit and social responsibility, government follies and mistruths, educational overhaul, and why he isn't nostalgic about punk rock's "glory days."

Challenging what you might have thought you held unquestioned and dear to your heart, he takes those beliefs and tears them up, forcing you to rebuild them from scratch.

Born Eric Boucher in Boulder, Colorado, he left town after high school. First, he did what many youth do—he formed a band. He became the leader and vocalist of Dead Kennedys, a pioneering punk rock band featuring smart, political lyrics with furious music.

After first calling himself Occupant, Jello Biafra picked his name at random out of a notebook. Years later, he said he chose it because he "likes the way the two images collide in people's minds."

Jello's controversial spirit raged on as he turned toward social commentary, and ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1979. While he did not win, he became a magnet for the vote of those dissatisfied with the leading candidates. During his campaign he never lost his sense of humor, wearing T-shirts from an opponent’s previous campaign, and vacuuming leaves off another opponent’s front lawn. With 6,591votes, he finished fourth out of ten candidates, with 3.5% of the total vote.

Biafra ranks as the first musician to be put on trial, because of the content of a record album (in 1985, three years before 2 Live Crew). The Frankenchrist album released with his group, Dead Kennedys, contained in its original release a reproduction of a painting by Swiss artist H.R. Geiger. Obscenity charges followed, under the urging of Tipper Gore and the Parent's Music Resource Center, after a woman spotted the record in her daughter's collection.

It was because of this painting that Jello's house in San Francisco was raided and torn apart by a squad of Los Angeles and San Francisco police officers. Former L.A. deputy city attorney Michael Guarino, regrets the episode. Stating, "about midway through the trial we realized that the lyrics of the album were in many ways socially responsible, very anti-drug and pro-individual."

Biafra practices what he preaches by recording albums of his spoken-word pieces on his own record label, Alternative Tentacles. As a devoted advocate of free speech, artistic freedom, and just plain getting your ideas out in the open, he created A.T. as a means for out-of-the-mainstream artists to record and distribute their work.

If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Evolve, is a triple-CD opus which takes on the topics of the media and the Clintons, censorship, and the death-penalty appeal case of journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal.

His album, entitled Become the Media deals with the rise of independent media. Biafra was involved in the Seattle protests of the WTO. He recorded a music EP under the moniker "No WTO Combo" with Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) and Krist Novoselic (Nirvana).

At a past spoken-word show, he said, "One of the worst forms of censorship is what people are not being told." His live performances take that idea head-on, with Biafra weighing in on the entire spectrum of social, political, and artistic topics.

FAQs on booking Jello Biafra

  • How do I book Jello Biafra to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jello Biafra for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jello Biafra, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jello Biafra or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Jello Biafra

    Speaking fees for Jello Biafra, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jello Biafra are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jello Biafra, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Jello Biafra speak about?

    Jello Biafra is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Activism, Authors, University Speakers.
  • Where does Jello Biafra travel from?

    Jello Biafra generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Jello Biafra’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Jello Biafra for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jello Biafra for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jello Biafra or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Jello Biafra is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Jello Biafra for your event is available upon request. Jello Biafra generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dean Karlan, Rye Barcott, Michael Franti, John Wood and Jimmy Wayne. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Jello Biafra for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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Speakers Similar to Jello Biafra

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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