Richard Francis Agnew, Jr. (born December 9 1958), more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 guitarist

Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

 who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County

Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 hardcore punk

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 scene, as well as the influential deathrock

Deathrock

Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...

 band Christian Death

Christian Death

Christian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....

.

Biography

With Casey Royer

Casey Royer

Casey Royer is an American musician who began his career playing drums for punk band, Social Distortion at age 21 in 1979. He then moved on to play for The Adolescents from 1980–87. While The Adolescents were on hiatus from 1981–86, Casey went on to form D.I. in 1982, a Southern California punk...

, Agnew played in Social Distortion

Social Distortion

Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...

 and the Detours in 1979. He joined the Adolescents

The Adolescents

The Adolescents are an American punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a punk supergroup, made up of early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. They are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore punk scene....

 in 1980. His guitar style and writing dominated the Adolescents' Blue Album

The Adolescents (album)

Adolescents is the eponymous debut album by the Orange County punk rock band the Adolescents. The album boasts an all-star cast, featuring three past Social Distortion members , former Agent Orange guitarist Steve Soto and a previously unknown singer named Tony Cadena...

on Frontier Records

Frontier Records

Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....

. Agnew left the band soon after the album's release in 1981 due to personal and creative differences. Agnew released his first solo album, All By Myself, on which he plays all the instruments. He was briefly in the band Christian Death

Christian Death

Christian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....

 and released Only Theatre of Pain

Only Theatre of Pain

Only Theatre of Pain was the debut studio album of American deathrock band Christian Death, originally released by Frontier Records in 1982. The album is considered the harbinger of deathrock....

. He joined D.I. in 1983. With D.I., Agnew played on their 1983 EP Team Goon (which used to be known as simply D.I.) as well as their first two albums (1985's Ancient Artifacts

Ancient Artifacts

Ancient Artifacts is D.I.'s first full-length studio album, which was released in 1985. "Hang Ten in East Berlin" and "Spiritual Law" were later re-recorded on the band's second album, Horse Bites Dog Cries, which was released in 1986. "O.C...

and 1986's Horse Bites Dog Cries

Horse Bites Dog Cries

Horse Bites Dog Cries is D.I.'s second full-length studio album, which was released in 1986. Although Horse Bites Dog Cries was not a commercial success, it has gained a cult following in recent times, and has been regarded by some critics as the D.I.'s best album.Horse Bites Dog Cries was recorded...

) before deciding to leave the band in 1987. When the Adolescents reunited in 1986, Agnew rejoined the band until its demise in 1989. Agnew went on to release two more solo albums, Rikk Agnew's Yard Sale and Turtle. He rejoined Royer and Tony Adolescent to record 'Where were you?' with ADZ in 1992. In 2000, Agnew again regrouped with the Adolescents and continued to play with them until 2003. Agnew toured with the reunited 45 Grave

45 Grave

45 Grave are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1979. The original group broke up in 1985 but vocalist Dinah Cancer subsequently revived the band. 45 Grave are noted as one of the first bands to mix punk rock with horror-themed lyrics, thereby positioning them as...

, in place of original guitarist Paul Cutler, in 2004 and 2005. He plays guitar in PooP with Scott Hoogland, former frontman of the influential Orange County band The Mechanics

The Mechanics

The Mechanics are considered to be the first punk band to come out of Fullerton, California.The Mechanics were a fusion of two bands, the L.A. Brats and Head Over Heels' songwriter and guitarist, Tim Racca...

. Agnew plays in the reunited Detours. After playing in Christian Death 1334 with James McGearty and EVA O, Agnew joined the new lineup of Voodoo Church as a second guitarist.