d boon 1958-1985

Y'know truthfully, I still think of Dennes every single day.
I used to think maybe I was obsessing and that perhaps it was just me,
but after joining Vida and hanging out with the old crowd again,
I can tell you honestly that D. is thought of on a daily basis by
absolutely everyone he was close with. His heart, love and music
affected us all so profoundly that we do continue to live with him,
and he is never further than a heartbeat away at any time.
He changed my life.

Tom Troccoli, 1995

(click >here< for more on D. Boon by Tom Troccoli)

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d boon's obituary from spin magazine - march 1986:

D. Boon, 1958-1985

Dennes Boon, lead singer and guitarist
of the Minutemen, was killed a few
days before Christmas in an automobile
accident near Tucson, Arizona. He was 27.
Dennes, better known as D., started
the band in 1980 with bassist Mike Watt
and drummer George Hurley. Forging
a new alliance between post-punk
hardcore and pre-punk blues and jazz,
the Minutemen quickly emerged as
one of the most important groups in
southern California's alternative music
scene.
Though formal minimalists - a typical
set would cram 50 songs into less
than 40 minutes - the band was driven
by large passions and a keen,
questioning intelligence, qualities that

Boon himself embodied. Friends recall
his warmth, energy, and quick humor,
and his ability to discuss three things at
once - excitedly and coherently. His
songwriting successfully married the
band's art-noise leanings to his populist
ambitions, and did so without
compromise. Though still a long way
from mainstream FM radio play, the
Minutemen's recent support slot on an
R.E.M. tour brought their music to an
unprecedentedly large audience.
At press time, it was unclear whether
Watt and Hurley intend to carry on.
Anyone wishing to help D.'s family can
send a donation to: D. Boon Memorial
Fund, 10573 West Pico Blvd., Suite
8, Los Angeles CA 90064.