Bobby Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Bobby Sullivan is a musician and activist.
He grew up in the Washington, DC punk scene. Forming Soulside
in 1983, their first release under the name Lunch Meat was a split 7” with Dave Grohl
’s first band, Mission Impossible. After the first 7”, all their work (three albums and another 7”) was produced by Ian MacKaye
and released on Dischord Records
. Soulside toured extensively in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and toured Europe in 1989, including Eastern Europe.
After Soulside’s split, Sullivan formed 7 League Boots in Boston, a band which blended reggae and rock. After releasing two 7”s and one album on Constant Change/Cargo Records, they broke up and Sullivan joined Rain Like The Sound Of Trains in DC, before forming Sevens with his brother Mark Sullivan. Both bands released albums produced by Tim Kerr
.
In his later years, Sullivan became an activist. Mentored by Eric Weinberger, a civil rights
activist who had been on the Freedom Rides, he worked with Food Not Bombs
(soup kitchens for the homeless) for five years in DC and Boston. He also helped form the DC chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross
, a political prisoner support network, giving him close relationships with Ramona Africa from the MOVE
Organization and various former Black Panthers and Weather Underground members. Today Bobby still makes music as B.Subtle with Moving Temple and Spontaneous Earth, an “acoustic roots” band in Asheville, North Carolina
. He also visits prisons and corresponds regularly with hundreds of inmates as Minister of Education for the Rastafarian UniverSoul Order, a prison ministry.
He grew up in the Washington, DC punk scene. Forming Soulside
Soulside
Soulside were a post-hardcore band from the greater Washington, D.C. area. The original name of the band was Lunchmeat, formed in 1985. The name was changed to Soulside in spring 1986 and they disbanded in summer of 1989, after an extensive European tour and recording the definitive Hot Bodi-Gram...
in 1983, their first release under the name Lunch Meat was a split 7” with Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
’s first band, Mission Impossible. After the first 7”, all their work (three albums and another 7”) was produced by Ian MacKaye
Ian MacKaye
Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
and released on Dischord Records
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
. Soulside toured extensively in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and toured Europe in 1989, including Eastern Europe.
After Soulside’s split, Sullivan formed 7 League Boots in Boston, a band which blended reggae and rock. After releasing two 7”s and one album on Constant Change/Cargo Records, they broke up and Sullivan joined Rain Like The Sound Of Trains in DC, before forming Sevens with his brother Mark Sullivan. Both bands released albums produced by Tim Kerr
Tim Kerr
Timothy E. Kerr is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.-Playing career:...
.
In his later years, Sullivan became an activist. Mentored by Eric Weinberger, a civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist who had been on the Freedom Rides, he worked with Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, serving free vegan and vegetarian food to others. Food Not Bombs' ideology is that myriad corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance...
(soup kitchens for the homeless) for five years in DC and Boston. He also helped form the DC chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross
Anarchist Black Cross
The Anarchist Black Cross is an anarchist politics support organization. The group is notable for its efforts at providing prisoners with political literature, but it also organises material and legal support for class struggle prisoners worldwide...
, a political prisoner support network, giving him close relationships with Ramona Africa from the MOVE
MOVE
MOVE or the MOVE Organization is a Philadelphia-based black liberation group founded by John Africa. MOVE was described by CNN as "a loose-knit, mostly black group whose members all adopted the surname Africa, advocated a "back-to-nature" lifestyle and preached against technology." The group...
Organization and various former Black Panthers and Weather Underground members. Today Bobby still makes music as B.Subtle with Moving Temple and Spontaneous Earth, an “acoustic roots” band in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. He also visits prisons and corresponds regularly with hundreds of inmates as Minister of Education for the Rastafarian UniverSoul Order, a prison ministry.