Kenny Dread got his stage name touring and recording with the legendary Rastafari punk shaman and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee H.R., lead singer of Bad Brains. During the 80’s Kenny also promoted concerts and afterhours parties, produced records for D.C. punk groups, performed with nyabinghi reggae godfather Ras Michael, and recorded with English punk goddess Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex. Kenny Dread studied composition with Pulitzer Prize winner Steven Stucky at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music before stagediving into the 1980’s Washington D.C. punk-rock scene.