Jason Matthew Thirsk
1967-1996  

     Jason Matthew Thirsk was born on Christmas Day 1967.  He lived in Hermosa Beach his entire life.  Even as a little kid, he enjoyed  music and became a huge KISS fan from 1976-1980.  But in his 8th grade year some of his older friends had him listen to some punk and Oi! records including bands like BLACK FLAG, BAD BRAINS, THE DAMNED, COCKNEY REJECTS and others. The minute he heard these bands he was hooked. He knew right then that he wanted to play this kind of music.
    He started his first band with three of his friends a few months later. They called themselves the JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, or JD's.  They were straight ahead three-chord sloppy punk rock with such songs as "Fuck You Teacher" and "Turtle Back Graw." After the JD's, Jason formed the SYNDICATE and then went on to form the really popular local band P.M.A. (taken from the Bad Brains song P.M.A. which stood for positive mental attitude) P.M.A. played mostly punk covers, but Jason soon grew tired of playing other peoples songs.  So he quit and in 1988 he teamed up with Fletcher to start a band who was later to be named PENNYWISE.
    From the start of PENNYWISE Jason wanted to make it a positive band with positive, uplifting lyrics and  more melodic music. He was sick of all the thrashy punk bands with negative, apathetic lyrics. He wanted to make people think and do something about their livesand surroundings.
    From 1988 to 1996 Jason did exactly what he always wanted to do play music for people and make them happy. In those years he used his music and writing as a form of therapy to help him get over his own problems and addictions.

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