Tragic Details About Pennywise

There's no denying that punk has a certain vibe, but when Pennywise was gearing up to make some serious waves in the music scene of the 1980s, they wanted to go in a different direction. Singer Jim Lindberg explained to the Albuquerque Journal, "The punk scene had become really cynical and confused ... the only bands that were doing anything inspiring were the ones singing about positivity and unity and heading in a new direction."

By the time he gave that interview, Pennywise had been together — off and on, and in various forms — for more than 25 years. The positivity, Lindberg says, really started with original bassist Jason Thirsk — and since his tragic passing, the rest of the band has kept his legacy alive by not only remembering him and his contributions, but holding onto the message that he wanted to spread.

Lindberg called it PMA — or Positive Mental Attitude. While that might sound a little strange when it comes to talking about a group with a major hit called "F*** Authority," there is — as is often the case — more to the story than just the titles in a discography. Lindberg adds that part of the mental attitude is getting in the mindset to do what it takes to make the world a better place, and there's a little bit of anger there, too. Look back at the history of the group and each individual member, and it turns out that they have a lot to be angry about. 

The song "Bro Hymn" is arguably one of Pennywise's most famous, and it also has an extremely heavy story that — over the years — has just gotten heavier. According to Lyrics, the song was written by then-bassist Jason Thirsk as a tribute to three friends he had lost: Tim Colvin, Carlos Canton, and Tom Nichols.

After Thirsk's death in 1996 (via MTV), Pennywise re-recorded the song for their new album. It was slightly retitled as "Bro Hymn (Tribute)," and joining in on the recording was Thirsk's brother, Justin. Singer Jim Lindberg later explained to Easy Reader News, "It just seemed that this was the right thing to do: Take this song that [Jason] wrote about friends,... take those exact sentiments and use them for his passing."

What ended up happening wasn't just healing among band members: When Acclaim took a look at the song's official video on YouTube, they noticed that the comments were almost universally empathetic. The appeal of the song proved to be lasting, and in 2018, Fletcher Dragge talked to Wall of Sound about how they had found it resonated with fans who had also suffered loss. Dragge told the story of a fan who had to leave a previous show when he got the news that his brother had passed away. Pennywise played again, and Dragge said, "...he was able to come to the show... and get up there on stage and sing "Bro Hymn" for his brother. .. Stuff like that is really touching."

In 2009, longtime lead singer Jim Lindberg announced that he was going to be leaving the group in order to spend more time with his family, including his three daughters. Pennywise replaced him and continued on, but interviews — from Lindberg and the other members — reveal there was a lot more going on behind the scenes.

Lindberg told Straight that his decision was also made because of a lack of communication among band members, and a failure on the part of child-free members to understand what he was going through. But when he was replaced, he wasn't happy about that, either: "It's one thing if they wanted to start another band and play new music," he explained. "But to put a hat on a guy and pretend that he was me, to have him singing songs about friends of mine who have passed away — well, all the authenticity is gone."

Dying Scene did a massive interview with Fletcher Dragge, and for a good amount of it, Dragge was condemning Lindberg and both his decision to leave... and the work he did before he left. He cited, too, a lack of communication, but blamed that on a desire to keep everyone happy and in the band: "You don't want the guy to quit because he's the frontman of the band, so you're walking on eggshells. You're scared. Once he was gone, it was like freedom. It was scary, but it was total liberation."

There's nothing quite like back pain to bring things to a grinding halt, and in 2012, that's exactly what happened to Pennywise singer Zoli Teglas. According to Loudwire, Teglas had been dealing with the pain of a herniated disc for some time. (That, says the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, is when one of the discs that cushion the bones of the spine rupture or slip out of place.)

Pennywise was performing at the Full Force Festival when Teglas collapsed onstage, and was ultimately rushed to the hospital. While herniated discs are common, typically have mild symptoms that gradually improve, and can often be treated with a little rest and some anti-inflammatory medications, Teglas's case was so severe that doctors rushed him into emergency surgery. It was determined that waiting would mean he risked being permanently paralyzed.

Three weeks later, The Music reported that Pennywise had canceled shows to allow Teglas the chance to recover. As for him, he was pretty bummed: "I can't really jump around or stage dive or nothing, because I got back surgery three weeks ago. ... I just got started walking about a week ago, so it'll be interesting."

Brad Nowell (center) never got to see the success of Sublime: According to Rolling Stone, his death came just two months before the release of the album that would make them a household name. His death — from a heroin overdose — came 11 months after his son's birth; months later, his father was still receiving fan mail from those who didn't know he had passed.

It was another loss that hit Pennywise hard: According to The Intelligencer, Pennywise had gotten an advance copy of Sublime's debut album, and absolutely loved it — so much so that they had invited the up-and-comers to tour Europe with them in 1996. Unfortunately, Nowell's death happened the day before that tour was supposed to start.

"I remember waiting in Germany, wondering if Sublime's flight landed," Fletcher Dragge recalled. "They were late for sound check. And then I heard that Bradley passed away." That conversation happened in 2013, when Pennywise was finally heading out on tour with Sublime With Rome, the next incarnation of the band. Prior to that, the group was active in lending a helping hand to the family that Nowell left behind. In 1997, MTV reported on a benefit concert for Nowell's 19-month-old son (headlined by Pennywise and No Doubt), and in 1998, they participated in the filming and release of the Sublime documentary "Stories, Tales, Lies, and Exaggerations."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Pennywise singer Jim Lindberg has shared a lot about what goes on behind the scenes of a successful music career. When Complex talked to him around the release of the punk film "The Other F Word," he had plenty to say that could be used as a cautionary tale for anyone wanting a career in music.

It's not all it's cracked up to be, he shared, and it's certainly not just getting on stage and having fun — not, that is, unless someone wants to end up in a body bag. "The glamorous side of punk rock is the Sid Vicious ending to the story, and you die somewhere a drug addict, live fast, die young. No one wants to end up like Sid Vicious."

He knows — he's seen it happen to friends. He's also been candid about what it takes to make a band successful. There's a lot of tour bookings, van rentals, logistical nightmares, and budgeting that needs to be done, too, and he says that it's a shame that more people don't go into it knowing what they're in for. That includes the nightmares of touring: While it might sound like a great time, getting to see the world, it's more accurately seeing three to four airports a week, flying economy class, and renting vans and buses. And then, when you're a decade in? Lindberg summed it up like this: "The back end of any career isn't as fun."