Kenny Morris dead: Siouxsie and the Banshees drummer dies age 68 as tributes paid
British punk musician and drummer Kenny Morris has died age of 68.
Morris was a founding member of Siouxsie and the Banshees and played a key role in shaping the band’s early gothic post-punk sound in the late 1970s.
He performed on their first two albums, The Scream (1978) and Join Hands (1979), both of which reached the UK Albums Chart Top 20 and are now widely regarded as post-punk classics.
His death was confirmed by his long-time friend, music journalist John Robb, who paid tribute to Morris in an emotional statement.
Robb said: “He was sweet, articulate, artistic and fascinating company, and his beautiful eccentricity was adorable. It was great to know you, Kenny.
“We will miss your sweet eccentricity, your long WhatsApp messages, your art and your gentle presence in a cruel world.
“He might turn up in a suit and a dress with open handcuffs on one hand, and the next time in something completely different but perfectly put together, while still carrying the confrontational style of the 1976 punk era he helped define.”
A self-taught drummer, Morris joined Siouxsie and the Banshees after seeing the band perform live, replacing Sid Vicious, who had played just one show with the group before joining the Sex Pistols. His two-year stint helped push the band beyond the London underground scene.
On the band’s debut single Hong Kong Garden, Morris recorded his drum parts separately at the direction of producer Steve Lillywhite, laying down the cymbals first before the tom-toms. The resulting sound went on to influence a generation of post-punk bands.
Morris left the group in 1979 alongside guitarist John McKay following an argument during an in-store record signing. After his departure, the band shifted further towards a new wave sound.
He later worked on live drumming and production projects before attending film school. Morris eventually moved to Cork and later settled in Dublin, where he became a respected visual artist. His paintings were exhibited at major art shows across the city.