List of Bad Religion band members

Bad Religion
Bad Religion in Stockholm, 2004
Background information
Also known as	BR
Origin	Woodland Hills, California, USA
Genres	Punk rock, Melodic hardcore, Hardcore punk
Years active	1980–present
Members	Greg Graffin Brett Gurewitz Jay Bentley Brian Baker Mike Dimkich
Past members	Jay Ziskrout Pete Finestone Paul Dedona Davy Goldman Greg Hetson Tim Gallegos John Albert Lucky Lehrer Bobby Schayer Brooks Wackerman

Bad Religion is an American punk rock band which currently consists of vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarists Brett Gurewitz, Mike Dimkich, Brian Baker, and bassist Jay Bentley. The band was formed in Southern California in 1980,^[1] and originally comprised Graffin on vocals, Gurewitz on guitar, Bentley on bass and Jay Ziskrout on drums.

The first Bad Religion line-up released one EP and one album, before Ziskrout left in 1981 and was replaced by Pete Finestone, who had contributed some of the tracks to their first album. The second lineup lasted until around the end of 1982, when Bentley and Finestone left the band while commencing work on a second album. The duo were replaced by Paul Dedona and Davy Goldman. After the release of their second album, Gurewitz, Dedona and Goldman all left Bad Religion in early 1984, leaving Graffin the only remaining original member. Bad Religion went on hiatus for a while before Graffin resurrected the band in 1984 with a new lineup, featuring Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson, Tim Gallegos on bass and Finestone returning on drums, to record a one-off EP. However, the reunion did not last and Bad Religion split up once again in 1985.

In 1986, the band was back together again, with the "classic lineup" of Graffin, Gurewitz, Hetson, Bentley and Finestone. After this lineup recorded three acclaimed albums, Suffer (1988), No Control (1989) and Against the Grain (1990), Finestone left Bad Religion for good in 1991 and was replaced by a then-unknown drummer named Bobby Schayer. Bad Religion recorded three more albums, and Gurewitz left the band just prior to the release of their highly successful 1994 album Stranger Than Fiction. Brian Baker (of Minor Threat and Dag Nasty fame) became his full-time replacement. Bad Religion decided to continue performing without Gurewitz, and recorded three albums, which were less successful than Stranger Than Fiction. The next lineup change took place in 2001 when Gurewitz, who had temporarily reunited with Graffin around 1999 to co-write a song, rejoined just in time to record the Process of Belief album. Also in 2001, Schayer left and was replaced by Brooks Wackerman, formerly of Infectious Grooves, Suicidal Tendencies and The Vandals. The lineup had since remained constant, although the band frequently tours without Gurewitz due to his commitments with Epitaph Records. Bad Religion's first lineup change in 12 years took place in April 2013 when Hetson went on hiatus from touring, likely due to the divorce of his second wife Alva.^[2] Hetson has since been replaced by former Cult touring member Mike Dimkich.^[3][4] On October 28, 2015, Brooks Wackerman confirmed his departure via Twitter, in order to become the new drummer of Avenged Sevenfold.

Current members

Lead vocalist Greg Graffin is the only constant member of Bad Religion, though the band currently has two other founding members. Graffin is the only member of Bad Religion to appear on all of their recordings.

Guitarist Brett Gurewitz is one of the founding members of Bad Religion. He has left the band twice, but rejoined in 2001 and is still a member of Bad Religion today.

Guitarist Greg Hetson was a member of Bad Religion for 29 years, and performed on all their releases from Back to the Known to True North. Prior to joining, he made a guest appearance on "Part III" (from How Could Hell Be Any Worse?).

Guitarist Brian Baker has performed on every post-Stranger Than Fiction Bad Religion album.

Bassist Jay Bentley is one of the founding members of Bad Religion and has played on almost every single release (except Into the Unknown and Back to the Known).

Brooks Wackerman was Bad Religion's drummer for 14 years, having replaced Bobby Schayer in 2001.

Greg Graffin

Active: 1980–present

Instruments: lead vocals

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases

Brett Gurewitz

Active: 1980–1984, 1986–1994, 2001–present

Instruments: guitar, vocals

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases from Bad Religion (1981) to Into the Unknown (1983), then from Suffer (1988) to Stranger Than Fiction (1994) and from The Process of Belief (2002) to present

Gurewitz co-produced Back to the Known (1985) during his first departure. He co-wrote "Believe It", which appears on The New America (2000), but did not officially rejoin Bad Religion again until 2001.

Jay Bentley

Active: 1980–1982, 1986–present

Instruments: bass, vocals

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases (except Into the Unknown and Back to the Known)

Brian Baker

Active: 1994–present

Instruments: guitar, vocals

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases from The Gray Race (1996) to present

Baker also appeared on the live tracks on the compilation album All Ages (1995), making this his first recording with Bad Religion.

Mike Dimkich

Active: 2013–present

Instruments: guitar

Release contributions: none so far

Former members

Jay Ziskrout

Active: 1980–1981

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: Bad Religion (1981), How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (1982)

Pete Finestone

Active: 1981–1982, 1984–1985, 1986–1991, 2003 (did only one reunion show with Bad Religion in Las Vegas)

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (1982) and from Back to the Known (1985) to Against the Grain (1990)

Paul Dedona

Active: 1982–1984

Instruments: bass

Release contributions: Into the Unknown (1983)

Davy Goldman

Active: 1982–1984

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: Into the Unknown (1983)

Greg Hetson

Active: 1984–2013

Instruments: guitar, vocals

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases from Back to the Known (1985) to True North (2013)

Prior to joining Bad Religion, Hetson made a guest appearance as a guitarist on Part III from How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (1982)

Tim Gallegos

Active: 1984–1985

Instruments: bass

Release contributions: Back to the Known (1985)

John Albert

Active: 1985

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: none

He has not played on any material but has helped on a few live performances.

Lucky Lehrer

Active: 1986

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: none

He has not played on any material but has helped on a few live performances.

Bobby Schayer

Active: 1991–2001

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases from Generator (1992) to The New America (2000)

Brooks Wackerman

Active: 2001–2015

Instruments: drums, percussion

Release contributions: all Bad Religion releases from The Process of Belief (2002) to Christmas Songs (2013)

Timeline

Although Greg Graffin is the only constant member of the band's line-up, the band currently features two other original members, Brett Gurewitz and Jay Bentley.

References

1. According to the booklet of the Live at the Palladium DVD, Bad Religion started in 1979 in Woodland Hills.
2. http://noisecreep.com/bad-religion-greg-hetson-wife-legal-action-against-each-other/
3. "True North as Team Coco web exclusive". The Bad Religion Page. January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
4. "Does this make it official? It seems so". The Bad Religion Page. January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.