Ian MacKaye

He is the son of a journalist and his wife. He father worked as a White House reporter and then became a religion specialist. He was brought up in an intellectual and open minded environment.

He loved music from a young age and learned to play piano and guitar. He listened to various types of music but his favourite was hard rock and he idolized singers like Ted Nugent and Queen.

As a teenager he witnessed several of his friends waste away their lives under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He vowed never to use them and incorporated this philosophy through his music too.

His first band was called The Slinkees and they performed a song titled “I Drink Milk’ in 1979. They also recorded two demo tapes consisting of covers and original songs.

Along with Nathan Strejcek, Geordie Grindle and Jeff Nelson, he formed a hardcore punk band, The Teen Idles in 1979. The band was one of the first punk rock groups to break out of their regional scene to become famous nationally. The band disbanded in 1980.

MacKaye and Nelson decided to start another band. Along with new additions Lyle Preslar on the guitar and Brian Baker on the bass, they formed the new band, Minor Threat in 1980.

The band released the album ‘Minor Threat’ in 1984. It had the song ‘Straight Edge’ which helped to kick off the straight edge movement which advocated that musicians keep away from a life of alcohol, smoking, and drugs.

The band was a short lived one. In spite of being around for such a short period, the band had a great impact on the hardcore punk rock movement of the 1980s.

He is very influential musician who made tremendous contributions to American hardcore punk and post-hardcore music. An unconventional musician, he is respected for his love for music and high ethical stance. He refuses to commercialize his music and is credited to have started the ‘straight edge’ movement.