For the movie of the same name, see The Misfits (movie). A fictional band called Misfits appears in the animated series Jem.
The Misfits are a horror-themed punk rock (see horror punk) band formed in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey and originally led by singer Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Anzalone).
Glenn Danzig was very interested in Marilyn Monroe, and took the band's name from The Misfits, Monroe's last film. The band's early lyrical and graphical focus was on retro (1930s- '50s) science fiction, horror films, and B-movies.
The early Misfits were often quite melodic, featuring Danzig's versatile singing, which had a style rooted in Italian tenors such as Mario Lanza and in 1950s doo wop. Early Misfits songs tended to have catchy, sing-along choruses backed by Danzig's distorted keyboard accompaniments. The band began as a largely untrained ensemble. The song "Last Caress" (a very rare track for years) is now commonly regarded as the epitome of an early-Misfits song, with blaring instruments and Danzig's melodic vocals finding a medium between Frank Sinatra and the Sex Pistols.
By the original band's last album, Earth A.D., they had become a hardcore punk band, with Danzig's standout vocal tone floating over a torrent of thrashing guitar, bass, and drums.
It is useful to think of the early Misfits as a band of New Jersey Italians who were strongly attracted to punk due to the trends of the time, rather than as a traditional 'punk band'. While Danzig lived with his mother in Lodi and was supported by her during the band's early career, Jerry and Doyle Caiafa helped finance the band by working long shifts at the family lumber yard, later founding a knife factory in rural Vernon Township (which often employed later members such as Robo, a citizen of Colombia). Misfits seldom mixed with other New Jersey punk bands, creating their own small scene locally, while holding early acclaim in New York and expanding it nationally, in part thanks to mailing lists and other networking, including their once-small, later-considerable ' Fiend Club' fan club.
