He was born Jesus Christ Allin at Weeks' Memorial Hospital, in Lancaster, New Hampshire. He was given this messianic name because his father, Merle Allin, Sr. (a religious and antisocial man), then 32 years old, had told his wife, Arleta Gunther, then 21 years old, that an angel had visited him and told him that his newborn son would be a great man in the vein of the Messiah. As a young child, his older brother, Merle Allin, Jr., was unable to pronounce "Jesus" properly and kept calling him "Jeje", which became "GG".
By the mid to late 1980s, Allin was a heroin user, alcoholic, a heavy smoker and generally abused all intoxicants given to him. He was poorly groomed and rarely cleaned himself. At this point, Allin also began eating laxatives before performances - as defecation, the drinking and eating of it was becoming a regular stage act for him. In an homage to one of his influences, Nina Simone, Allin described himself as "the last true rock and roller" as well as "a huge fan of the blues." By this, he meant that rock and roll music itself had started as an embodiment of danger, anti-authoritarianism, rebelliousness but had become largely taken over by corporations and business concerns. Allin's music and performances were thus meant to return rock and roll to what he saw as its roots, reclaiming from the corporate system.
Allin idolized country music legend Hank Williams, Sr, and saw himself as a kindred spirit. Both were relative loners and outsiders, both were habitual users of intoxicants, both lived with few, if any, possessions and both travelled the country relentlessly. GG Allin's acoustic output, documented particularly on the EP The Troubled Troubador, was heavily influenced by Williams. He recorded his own rewrites of Hank Williams, Jr.'s "Family Tradition" and David Allan Coe's "Longhaired Redneck", calling his own versions "Scumfuc Tradition" and "Outlaw Scumfuc" respectively. Later GG Allin also released another country album Carnival of Excess.
A bloodied GG Allin performs sometime around 1992.
A bloodied GG Allin performs sometime around 1992.
During this period, Allin collaborated with Bulge (aka Boston hardcore punk trio Psycho under a different name, on the album Freaks, Faggots, Drunks and Junkies), The Aids Brigade (the infamous 7" EP Expose Yourself To Kids) and The Holymen (You Give Love a Bad Name). Allin also began performing many spoken word pieces. Video footage of these are available but rare. It was during this period that Allin recorded his Murder Junkies album released by New Rose Records and featuring the band ANTiSEEN. This album contained 10 musical tracks and 10 spoken-word pieces. Other than Freaks, Faggots, Drunks and Junkies, Allin considered this album to be his most polished professionally recorded album that explored his persona and stated his philosophy on life. It was also during this period that Allin recorded the War In My Head - I'm Your Enemy album released on Awareness Records and featuring the band Shrinkwrap. This particular album consists of one 45 minute track that is a collage of spoken-word pieces which Shrinkwrap put to music.
Unwilling to seek steady employment, Allin supported himself by selling his own records. He also claimed to have committed criminal acts such as breaking and entering, robbery and mugging. Allin was also fascinated with serial killers. He wrote and visited John Wayne Gacy in jail a number of times and Gacy painted a portrait of Allin (see American Serial Killer Art).
By this point, Allin's performances, which often resulted in considerable damage to venues and sound equipment, were regularly stopped after only a few songs by police or venue owners. Allin was charged with assault and battery or indecent exposure a number of times. His constant touring was only stopped by jail time or by long hospital stays for broken bones, blood poisoning, and other trauma.
Another attraction to Allin performances was his continual threats of suicide. In 1988, Allin wrote to Maximum RocknRoll stating that he would commit suicide on stage on Halloween 1989. However, he was in jail when that day came. He continued his threat each following year but ended up imprisoned each following Halloween. When asked why he doesn't follow through with his threats, or sometimes his on-stage defecations, Allin stated, "With GG, you don't get what you expect—you get what you deserve." e also stated that suicide should only be done when one had reached their peak, meeting the afterlife at their strongest point and not at their weakest.
Meanwhile, Allin's growing notoriety led to appearances on Morton Downey, Jr., Geraldo, The Jerry Springer Show and a memorable episode of The Jane Whitney Show.
At the end of this period, Allin's appearance became definitive. He shaved his head, removed the middle of the mustache à la Genghis Khan, dyed his beard red and shaved his entire body. In addition, he was increasingly covered in cheap, poorly done "homemade" tattoos and scars from his violent stage performances.
In late 1989, Allin was arrested and charged with rape and torture of a female acquaintance in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In a psychological evaluation made as part of the trial, Allin was judged to be of at least average intelligence, and was described as "courteous, cooperative and candid." The unnamed evaluator noted Allin did not appear psychotic, and seemed comfortable with his unorthodox lifestyle. However, the evaluator asserted Allen did have symptoms and behavior consistent with borderline personality disorder, masochism and narcissism.
Allen initially denied the charges, claiming the woman was a willing participant in sexual activities with him, only later changing her account of events. Allin also claimed inconsistencies in the woman's statements to authorities supported his assertions, and the judge in the case agreed there were substantial inconsistencies in the woman's account. Ultimately, however, Allin plea bargained to reduced felony assault charges, and he was imprisoned from December 22, 1989 to March 26, 1991.
