Paul Dedona, born April 24, 1960 in Sherman Oaks, California, was Bad Religion's bass player from late 1982 until early 1984. Before he joined Bad Religion, Paul already played bass in a theatrical act called Max Crystal, which got a little press in the early eighties. Paul first met Brett Gurewitz at a party at the singer's house of the band he was in at that time. Brett had watched Paul playing with that band at the Bla Bla Cafe in Studio City a couple of months before the party. Another few months went by when Brett asked Paul to play on Bad Religion's next album. Paul, a hippy, wasn't much into punk and didn't even know about Bad Religion, but he agreed anyway. Together with Davy Goldman he joined the band, which at that time only consisted of Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin. After a couple of months they went in the studio to record the 1983 album Into The Unknown. During the recording of the album Greg Graffin advised Paul not to play with a pick, so all the tracks were played jazz style. Only a couple of months after recording Into The Unknown Paul was told that Bad Religion had broken up.

 

During the recording of Into The Unknown, Paul never thought the album would come out and therefore didn't put much into it. Shortly after Bad Religion's break-up, Paul played in a band called The Coz (or The Cos) with Greg Graffin, Davy Goldman and Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson. Paul soon left the band as Greg Graffin and Davy Goldman always had something to say about Paul's bass playing. 

 

After Bad Religion Paul had an own band called Lab Animals. They lasted for a couple of years, but never got signed. Besides playing in the Lab Animals, Paul also did some session work, played acoustic guitar, and sang in a couple of folk duo's and trio's. He continued playing bass, but never performed again since he got a job in sales. According to Paul his biggest musical influence was Jimi Hendrix. Other people that influenced him were his best friend Brady Lyman (drummer of Lab Animals), John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, John Paul Jones and Tom Peterson (during Into The Unknown).

 

Besides playing music, Paul also likes to hunt, camp and hike. As of 2002 he has been living in Hermosa Beach, California.

 

 

Source: Interview with Paul Dedona (December 24, 2002)