Missing Persons

Famed equally for their futuristic visual style and their sound, the Los Angeles new wave group Missing Persons came together in 1980, the year singer Dale Bozzio married drummer Terry Bozzio. Terry, who had previously played in Frank Zappa’s backing ensemble, first encountered the former Dale Consalvi, an ex-Playboy Bunny, at a Hollywood studio; after establishing Missing Persons—originally called U.S. Drag—the couple added fellow Zappa veteran Warren Cuccurullo on guitar, bassist Patrick O’Hearn, and classically trained keyboardist Chuck Wild, then began performing regularly in local clubs.

The band’s self-titled debut EP appeared in 1981. Once they signed with Capitol, the label re-released the record the following year, and both “Words” and “Destination Unknown” climbed close to the Top 40. Their videos proved equally effective on the emerging MTV channel, where Dale Bozzio’s distinctive hiccuping delivery, shocking-pink hair, sci-fi costumes, and Plexiglass bras meshed with the group’s synth-based material to secure frequent airplay. Still later in 1982 they delivered their first full-length effort, Spring Session M—an anagram of the band’s name—which featured the cult favorite “Walking in L.A.”

Rhyme and Reason, issued in 1984, yielded only the modest single “Give.” For the 1986 dance-pop album Color in Your Life the band enlisted Chic’s Bernard Edwards as producer, yet the record failed to connect; soon afterward Missing Persons disbanded and the Bozzios’ marriage dissolved. Dale Bozzio later released a solo album on Prince’s Paisley Park imprint, while Terry Bozzio collaborated with Jeff Beck; Cuccurullo joined Duran Duran, O’Hearn issued several instrumental new age recordings, and Wild composed scores for film and television.