Gary Floyd

 

By SoDak

Comrade Gary Floyd, from the legendary queer commie band The Dicks, is dead. His voice has been in my heart since 1985, when I first heard the song “Dicks Hate the Police,” which noted the downward spiral and brutality of a police officer. His voice continues to be present to this day, as cops across the country are deployed to beat up college students demonstrating against war and genocide. Gary wrote great songs railing against Nazis, cops, racism, homophobia, and capitalism. Songs such as these are still desperately needed. I get goose bumps every time I hear “Bourgeois Fascist Pig.” Sometimes his lyrics were written from the perspective of a cop or a reactionary, and the words note the vile thoughts that would manifest. Gary had a big and powerful voice. The soulful and blues foundation of his singing is more evident on These People (1983), the second record by The Dicks, as many of the songs are much slower than those on their debut Kill from the Heart (1985). I really love the soulfulness of his singing in Sister Double Happiness, one of his later bands, especially on the song “Dark Heart.” Another gem in his catalog is “Wonderful” by his band Black Kali Ma. If you have not heard these songs, please listen to them. They are beautiful. One of my favorite songs from his solo work is “The Rejected Ones.” Gary was simply wonderful.