Sister Double Happiness came together in San Francisco during 1986 and quickly established itself as the local concert attraction of choice even prior to issuing its debut album of exaggerated, Caucasian blues-rock. Gary Floyd and Lynn Perko, both veterans of the punk outfit the Dicks, teamed with Ben Cohen, previously of Pop-o-Pies and Polkacide, along with bassist Mikey Donaldson. The quartet cut a self-titled collection of intense tracks for SST in 1988, most of them written by Floyd and Cohen. Drawing on Floyd’s Texas background as a blues/punk vocalist, the group delivered an intense blend of blues-tinged hard rock and punk that stood apart from contemporaries. Its lyrics focused chiefly on the human condition alongside spirituality amid AIDS and city deterioration. The group’s potential secured a Reprise deal in 1991 for Heart and Mind, though the album did not expand its reach. That year the band also received a Bammie for Outstanding Club Band, after which Jeff Palmer took over bass duties from Donaldson. A Sub Pop single appeared next, followed by two releases on the label’s German division—Uncut in 1993 and Horsey Water in 1994. Guitarist Danny Roman joined, and Miles Montalbano assumed bass from Palmer. The video Greetings from Zurich remains a record of the band’s formidable stage energy. Sister Double Happiness also appeared on several early-’90s tribute albums honoring Roky Erickson, Dead Kennedys, and Frank Sinatra. The group disbanded in 1995, its studio output never fully conveying the intensity of its concerts. Floyd promptly launched the Gary Floyd Band, Perko started Imperial Teen alongside Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum, and Cohen played guitar with El Destroyo and additional projects. The posthumous collection Stone’s Throw from Love: Live and Acoustic at the Great American Music Hall surfaced in 1999. Gary Floyd passed away on May 2, 2024, at age 71.
