Dead Kennedys were a hardcore punk band from San Francisco. The band was led by Jello Biafra. Other original members were Klaus Fluoride, D.H. Peligro, and East Bay Ray. The band played songs with strong political messages. During the 1980s, they had many fans in the punk rock music scene.
The Dead Kennedys formed in June 1978. In 1980, one of their songs called "California Über Alles" became popular in the punk music scene. In 1980, they recorded and released a song called "Holiday in Cambodia". That same year, they made their first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. In the early 1980s, the band toured all over the United States, Europe, and Australia.
In July 1987, the band broke up. After they broke up, they were charged with the crime of obscenity. A person saw the band's album Frankenchrist and complained to the Attorney General for the State of California and to Los Angeles prosecutors. The album included a picture that showed nine penises. In August 1987, the criminal trial ended but the jury could not make a decision. The album was banned from many record stores in the United States.