Kembra and Samoa

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black was formed by 2 NYC Lower East Side underground artists, Kembra Pfahlerand Samoa, in 1988. Kembra and Samoa were collaborating on performance art and making movies at the time and needed to have their own music for their films and live shows. They were already sore thumbs in the New York City underground scenes, but the rock band gave them a new kind of heel.

Kembra Pfahler was born, daughter of Judy Ball and famous surfer Frederick Pfahler in Hermosa Beach, CA. Also, Kembra was a high school gymnast. After dropping out of the School of Visual Arts, Kembra started provocative performance art. Kembra Pfahler is the lead vocalist and visual mastermind behind the band's outrageous and often shocking stage presence.

Samoa was born in a small fisherman town in Hiroshima, Japan. During WW2, the town had a secret poison gas factory. He grew up listening to the American military base radio. One day, he saw the only musical instrument store in the region display a Japanese copy of a Les Paul guitar in the window. That changed the course of his life. He moved to Tokyo to attend Beauty school and then became a TV and theater actor. He moved to New York City in 1980, seeking fame.