# Oldest punk **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 12, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353 "2021-10-12T07:42:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/21 "2021-10-13T19:18:11Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Further, Debbie Harry can burp the phonebook if she wants and it would be wonderful. She wrestled Andy Kaufman on stage, I bet she could pull that off too. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Kaufmanwrestling.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Kaufmanwrestling.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/22 "2021-10-13T19:31:48Z")
This definitely isn’t what the OP is looking for, but I think it deserves an honorable mention of some sort. Back in the day there was a punk group called “One Foot In The Grave”, which was literally a group of old retired people playing punk music. At the time they claimed to be the oldest punk band. Poking around on google it looks like they put out two albums, titled “Lookin’ Good! Who’s your embalmer?” and “Old Farts”. Billed as “the only punk rock band from the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona” their repertoire features such geriatric originals as “Menopause”, “Sun City Rocks” and “Golf Cart Drivers From Hell”. Unfortunately, the latest information I can find about the band is from the 1990s, so it’s probably safe to say they are no longer performing. > **[One Foot In The Grave](https://www.discogs.com/artist/1823753-One-Foot-In-The-Grave)** > > Explore releases from One Foot In The Grave at Discogs. Shop for Vinyl, CDs and more from One Foot In The Grave at the Discogs Marketplace. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/23 "2021-10-13T20:02:27Z")
Good find, **ecg**! I sent them an email; I’ll let y’all know when I hear back. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/24 "2021-10-13T21:17:35Z")
[Vi Subversa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi_Subversa) of the Poison Girls performed until her death at 80, in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/25 "2021-10-13T21:30:41Z")
_Forced to Live_ and _Bike Boy_ are quite punky. And if guilt by association means anything, [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmichaelputland.com%2Fblondie-siouxsie%2F&psig=AOvVaw2v4vHgjGk-UXFMztMzZJWQ&ust=1634246881835000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAkQjRxqFwoTCNick5mqyPMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD) would be pretty damning ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/26 "2021-10-14T14:28:41Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I’ll ignore that “if at all” and just note that, although a mere 74 years old, Wilko Johnson is absolutely still gigging. I love the very unique way Wilko plays, both his left and right hand techniques. I was able to do a poor rendition of some of his songs but it was hell on my strumming fingers. He must have callouses all over the ends of his strumming hand fingers. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/27 "2021-10-14T17:58:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Good find, **ecg**! I just remembered them from back in the day. I didn’t know if I would be able to find any info about them online and I had no idea if they were still around (maybe with a different lineup?) so I went googling. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/28 "2021-10-14T18:14:30Z")
He’s playing not too far away from me in spring next year. I think I might just. I last saw him with the Solid Senders back in 1978. > **[Wilko Johnson + special guest John Otway](https://wtm.uk/events/wilko-johnson-special-guest-john-otway/)** > > Following a remarkable recovery from a diagnosis of terminal cancer, Wilko Johnson the original Dr Feelgood guitarist, actor (Game of Thrones character Ser ilyn Payne) and \[…\] Given his age and health history, he’s doing pretty well. Seeing John Otway mentioned reminded me of something. Granted, he’s a mere kid at 69 - but he’s still gigging (see exhibit #1); he got a five album deal way back in the day because Polydor _mistakenly believed_ he was a punk - does he qualify per the OP? > His sixth single, the half-spoken love song “Really Free” reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977. It would be his greatest success for some time. The song earned him a five-album deal with Polydor Records, who viewed him as a punk rather than merely an eccentric. [Wiki.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Otway#1970s_and_80s) j ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/29 "2022-12-09T05:34:05Z")
14 months after starting this thread, just saw the news that Jet Black, the consensus winner of the oldest punk title, [had passed away at 84](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/dec/08/the-stranglers-drummer-jet-black-dies-after-years-of-ill-health-aged-84). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/30 "2022-12-09T06:45:58Z")
Sad news about Jet Black. Although I stopped listening to Stranglers after Hugh left, I still have a soft spot for the band, _Golden Brown_ is one of my favourite songs of all time. Having said that… Even if he was still alive, Viva Hammel would have him beat. AFAIK, she’s still alive, haven’t seen an obit. > **[Britain's oldest punk, 88, gave up lollipop lady job to form rock band with son](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-oldest-punk-88-gave-18366388)** > > Viva Hamnell is a great-grandmother but still performs on stage — more than 40 years after starting a band with her son ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353/31 "2022-12-09T17:42:48Z")
I used to watch EastEnders years ago when PBS showed it, and a friend who was watching with me one day swore that one of the old man characters either resembled, or actually was a famous ex-punk musician. Wish I could remember his name. He looked like several miles of bad road, but he could have been pretty young, just worn out and ragged from years of punk-rocking. (someone will say, ‘wtf does this have to do with anything’ - I’m only bored and putting my two cents in, sor-ry.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-punk/952353.md?page=1)