Formed in San Pedro, California by friends and musical kindred spirits D. Boon and Mike Watt, The Minutemen's humble beginnings would eventually lead to being considered one of the most important punk rock bands of the 1980s. Though it initially created pretty straightforward hardcore punk, the group eventually began to play around with a variety of genres, ranging from funk and jazz, to folk and roots rock. Each member, especially Watt on bass and the frenetic drummer George Hurley, was an accomplished musician, yet the band's overall sound maintained a loose and freewheeling style that fell right in line with its DIY roots. The ambitious 1984 double album, Double Nickels on the Dime, is widely-considered a punk rock classic and is perhaps the best example of the band's raw, varied and often satirical nature. In 1985, D. Boon was killed in a van accident, effectively ending Minutemen at the peak of its career. Watt and Hurley struggled with his death but ultimately decided to carry on by forming fIREHOSE in 1987.