The Misfits are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band's lyrical and graphical focus covers retro science-fiction, horror, and B-movies. Originally led by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig until their initial breakup in 1983, the band was later resurrected in 1995 by Jerry Only without Danzig, and continues to exist. Danzig along with bassist Jerry Only (born Jerry Caiafa), who joined shortly after the band's inception, remained the only consistent members throughout various line-ups, during the six years of the band's original incarnation (from 1977 to 1983). ...show more

The Misfits are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band's lyrical and graphical focus covers retro science-fiction, horror, and B-movies. Originally led by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig until their initial breakup in 1983, the band was later resurrected in 1995 by Jerry Only without Danzig, and continues to exist. Danzig along with bassist Jerry Only (born Jerry Caiafa), who joined shortly after the band's inception, remained the only consistent members throughout various line-ups, during the six years of the band's original incarnation (from 1977 to 1983).

Danzig was very interested in Marilyn Monroe, and took the band's name from "The Misfits", Monroe's last film. The early Misfits were often quite melodic, featuring Danzig's versatile singing, which had a style rooted in Italian tenors such as Mario Lanza and in 1950s doo wop. Early Misfits songs tended to have catchy, sing-along choruses backed by Danzig's distorted keyboard accompaniments. The band began as a largely untrained ensemble.

The song Last Caress (a very rare track for years) is now commonly regarded as the epitome of an early-Misfits song, with blaring instruments and Danzig's melodic vocals finding a medium between Frank Sinatra and the Sex Pistols. By the original band's last album, Earth A.D., they had become a hardcore punk band, with Danzig's standout vocal tone floating over a torrent of thrashing guitar, bass, and drums. Misfits' iconic skull graphic was lifted from the 1946 television serial, 'The Crimson Ghost,' while the typeface is from the 1950s-'60s magazine, 'Famous Monsters of Filmland.' It is useful to think of the early Misfits as a band of a couple of guys from New Jersey who were strongly attracted to punk due to the trends of the time, rather than as a traditional 'punk band'. While Danzig lived with his mother in Lodi and was supported by her during the band's early career, Jerry Caiafa and Doyle Caiafa helped finance the band by working long shifts at the family lumber yard, later founding a knife factory in rural Vernon Township (which often employed later members such as Robo, a citizen of Colombia). ...show less