Dennis Danell
Musician
1961-February 29. 2000
Age-38
Cause of Demise- Brain Aneurysm
I'm not sure how I missed Dennis in my original formatting of this website. He was the rhythm guitarist for Social Distortion, one of my favorite bands for 20 years. I first saw Social D at a converted bowling alley that my little sister convinced me to go to in the Valley called Godzillas. I loaded my girlfriend, my sister, and 4 or 5 of her friends into my '78 Celica, and we drove from Downey to the Valley. It was probably 1981 or 82. Godzillas was a warren of rooms filled with (In the early 80's anyway) scarey looking drunk punks. I didn't drink then, so I was a little out of place. The headliner was 45 Grave, and Social Distortion, among others, was supporting. I remember Playpen, 1945, and Under My Thumb being played, and thinking that theses guys were pretty good-not something I said often of the support acts at punk gigs. The set ended when some stage diving punks hit the monitors one time too many, and Mike Ness stormed off the stage.
I never was a good punk rocker, though that's where my musical taste generally ended up. My hair was kind of long, and I wouldn't buy a leather jacket or Doc Martin shoes, which were both pretty expensive. I didn't really enjoy slam dancing and generally didn't go near a mosh pit. I did cruise the thrift shops, but like now I had a strong leaning toward Hawaiian shirts. If you went to an Agent Orange, Wall of Voodoo, or Social Distortion gig in Hollywood in '82 or '83, and saw a water polo player in an Hawaiian shirt from Downey, it was me.
Social Distortion always appealed to me. The band was about my age, from Fullerton, (which was very similar to Downey), and sang about the usual things, stuff like being young and alienated. I bought all their singles, and compilations like Rodney on the Roq, and Hell Comes To Your House. I drove to Westwood to see In Another State of Mind, and owned Mommy's Little Monster, which I would play to my less than interested water polo buddies.
Then, as the band matured, so did I. I didn't care for the Prison Bound, album, but was all over Social Distortion, the major label, KROQ favorite, punk rock album to the masses, and suddenly Social Distortion was an overnight success 10 years in the making. From that point to Dennis's death I saw Social Distortion maybe 10 more times, and bought all the cd's. Work and family made it a little harder, but I'd still figure ways to see the band.
The last time I saw Social Distortion was July 4th, 1998. My new wife and I, along with my sister and her friends, saw them at the Hootenanny, along with X , The Cramps, The Rev. Horton Heat, Robert Gordon, and The Blasters. It was the best concert lineup that I could imagine, but I knew my days at these things were numbered. My wife was pregnant but didn't know it, and the whole scene was the antithesis of the soul music that she enjoys. I was weeks away from my 35th birthday, and watching Lux Interior strip naked in the bright sunlight looked sad. He was a skinny, pale old man, and what might have made some sort of statement during the Cramps early days seemed a little pathetic. The knowledge that Lux wasn't a natural brunette was something I didn't need.
Social Distortion still seemed vital though, with the band pushing 40. It was a punk rock band, no question, but a punk rock band with something to say to an aging punk rocker such as myself. Things happen, and you deal with them, and that's what Social Distortion was about.
I was surprised at the death of Dennis Danell, and this entry turned out to be more about me than him. Denni was loyal to his high school classmate, Mike Ness, and stuck with him as a musician and a friend. He had a wife, two small children, and died in his own driveway at age 38.
I looked up info on the web, and found a couple of interviews, but I couldn't find a date of birth. From those interviews I learned that Dennis was happy with his family and enjoyed being a family man. Dennis was still involved with the Orange County music scene, working with his own side band, and producing others. There didn't seem to be much else to add.
In a few months, I may change this entry to reflect more about him then me. If you happen to know Dennis's date of birth, please e-mail it to me. Thanks.