# Remembering Kenny Morris: The Dru

# Remembering Kenny Morris: The Drummer Whose Primal Beats Defined Post-Punk **In the shadowy pulse of post-punk's birthplace, a heartbeat has stopped.** Kenny Morris, the founding drummer of Siouxsie and the Banshees, has passed away at 68, leaving behind a legacy that echoed through generations of goth and alternative music.[1][2][7] Morris joined the band in January 1977, right after their explosive debut at the 100 Club Punk Festival—where Sid Vicious had briefly drummed before bolting to the Sex Pistols.[1][2][5] As their first permanent sticksman, he shaped the raw, atmospheric sound on their seminal albums *The Scream* (1978) and *Join Hands* (1979).[1][2][7] His **tom-heavy, cymbal-light rhythms**—think the hypnotic drive of "Hong Kong Garden" and "Mirage"—revolutionized the genre, influencing drummers like Joy Division's Stephen Morris and Bauhaus's Kevin Haskins.[6][7] Producer Steve Lillywhite's innovative layering of bass drum, snare, toms, and echo on "Hong Kong Garden" turned Morris's playing into a blueprint for post-punk's dark allure.[7]

Siouxsie and the Banshees in their formative 1978 era[7]

His tenure ended abruptly in 1979 amid band tensions, alongside guitarist John McKay, paving the way for Budgie of The Slits to join.[1][5] Post-Banshees, Morris drummed for Helen Terry, directed short films, and relocated to Cork, Ireland, in 1993, where he taught art, ran a gallery, and painted.[1][2] Friend and journalist John Robb remembered him as "sweet, articulate, artistic... a beautiful eccentricity," often arriving in punk-era bricolage like a suit with a dress and open handcuffs.[1] Lately, he drummed for Dublin's Shrine Of The Vampyre and completed a memoir set for 2026 release.[2] Morris's "melodic, atmospheric" beats weren't just rhythm—they were the shadowy world's pulse, inspiring The Cure and beyond.[6][1] No cause of death was disclosed, but his influence endures in every echoing tom fill.[2][5] **What's your favorite Banshees track powered by Morris's drums? Drop a comment below with your memories, share this tribute to honor his legacy, or fire up *The Scream* right now—let's keep the beat alive!**
Citations
1.https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/186519/Siouxsie-And-The-Banshees-drummer-Kenny-Morris-dead-at-68
2.https://stereogum.com/2485556/siouxsie-and-the-banshees-founding-drummer-kenny-morris-dead-at-68/news
3.https://www.clashmusic.com/news/siouxsie-and-the-banshees-drummer-kenny-morris-has-died/
4.https://happymag.tv/siouxsie-and-the-banshees-drummer-kenny-morris/
5.https://consequence.net/2026/01/kenny-morris-siouxsie-and-the-banshees-drummer-dead/
6.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzYC9Mjf1mQ
7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Morris_(musician)
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