Ian MacKaye

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Ian MacKaye (pronounced Mc-Eye) (b. April 16, 1962) is an American musician, probably best known as the founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based punk rock label, and as the singer for two important punk rock groups: Minor Threat and Fugazi.

MacKaye grew up in Washington, D.C. and listened to mainstream hard rock before discovering punk music in 1976 when he saw The Cramps perform at Georgetown University. He was particularly influenced by the D.C. and Californian punk scene. MacKaye looked up to punk icons like Bad Brains and Black Flag and was childhood friends with Henry Garfield (who later changed his name to Henry Rollins).

MacKaye played bass guitar in The Teen Idles (1979), was the lead singer for Minor Threat (1980) and Embrace (1985), and presently plays guitar and sings with Fugazi (1987) and The Evens. MacKaye has also worked with a few smaller bands on the side over the years, including Egg Hunt, Skewbald/Grand Union, and Pailhead, a collaboration between MacKaye and Al Jourgensen of the industrial band Ministry. He currently sings and plays baritone guitar in the band The Evens with the drummer and vocalist Amy Farina of the Warmers. The Evens released their self-titled album in early 2005, breaking a four-year silence by MacKaye. MacKaye, along with guitarist Sonic Boom (formerly of Spacemen 3), co-wrote the music to the 2003 documentary The Weather Underground.

He is credited with starting the straight edge philosophy and is one of the pioneers of the DIY punk ethic.not to mention he kind of broke my heart.

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Straight Edge

The song "Straight Edge" was written by Ian for his band, Minor Threat and was released in 1981 on Minor Threat's self titled EP. The song, according to The Manchester Newspaper in 1997, was written as an obituary for a friend of MacKaye's who died from an overdose of heroin. Ian expressed his pain, anger, and his determination of being clean and pure of any type of drug. It was a song that described a life free of smoking, drinking, drug use, and promiscuity. It began to influence youth culture as Minor Threat gained popularity through numerous live shows and through sales of the song on their EP. Although to MacKaye, the song did not represent a philosophy or a movement, over time, people adopted the philosophy of the song and many bands began to label themselves straight edge, founding the straight edge movement.

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