Kenny Morris Has Died — The Drummer Who Defined the Sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Post-Punk Era
British musician Kenny Morris, one of the founders and the first drummer of the iconic band Siouxsie and the Banshees, passed away on January 15, 2026, at the age of 68. The news of his death was confirmed by several reputable music sources. The official cause of death has not been disclosed.
Kenny Morris was born on February 1, 1957, in the English county of Essex and became a prominent figure on the emerging punk and post-punk scene in London in the late 1970s. He gained widespread recognition as a member of Siouxsie and the Banshees, a band that played a crucial role in the development of post-punk, gothic rock, and alternative music as a whole.
The musician joined the group in January 1977 and quickly became more than just a drummer, emerging as a key contributor to the band’s early sound. Morris took part in the recording of the first two albums — The Scream (1978) and Join Hands (1979), which are now regarded as foundational works of the genre. His playing style was marked by sharp minimalism: the rejection of traditional cymbals, a focus on tom-toms, and a repetitive rhythmic structure that created a dark, hypnotic atmosphere — a sonic signature that later became synonymous with the early era of Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Critics and fellow musicians have repeatedly noted that Kenny Morris’s approach to drumming influenced an entire generation of performers. His rhythmic style was cited by members of Joy Division, Bauhaus, and other landmark bands that helped define the aesthetic language of British post-punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In 1979, Morris left Siouxsie and the Banshees amid internal tensions, departing alongside guitarist John McKay just hours before a scheduled concert. Despite the abrupt exit, his contribution to the group’s early history has remained an inseparable part of its legacy.
After leaving the band, Kenny Morris continued to work across creative fields. He remained active in music, collaborated with various artists, and also developed a career as a visual artist and filmmaker. His short film La Main Morte was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, a rare achievement for a musician associated with the post-punk movement of that era.
In the early 1990s, Morris relocated to Ireland, where he focused on teaching art, painting, and working with galleries. At the same time, he participated in local music projects, including the gothic band Shrine Of The Vampyre, which brought together members of the Dublin alternative scene.
In the final years of his life, Kenny Morris worked on his memoirs, offering a detailed account of the emergence of the punk movement, the inner workings of the music industry, and his personal experience within Siouxsie and the Banshees. According to those close to him, the manuscript was completed shortly before his death and was being prepared for publication.
The death of Kenny Morris is a significant loss for the global alternative music community. His name remains permanently linked to the formation of the post-punk sound, and the recordings he contributed to are still regarded as benchmarks of expressive minimalism. The music he helped create continues to resonate and influence new generations of artists and listeners worldwide.
