D-Roc the Executioner

Dennis Miles (September 23, 1959 – August 17, 2004), aka D-Roc the Executioner (or more commonly just D-Roc), was an American musician who played rhythm guitar for the heavy metal band Body Count. Miles also played guitar for his own band, Pitch Blaack. He referred to his style as "ghetto metal".

Life and music career

Miles attended Crenshaw High School with Body Count members Ice-T, Beatmaster V, Mooseman and Ernie C.[1] Ernie C taught guitar lessons, and Miles was one of his students, Along with his later replacement Bendrix. Miles performed wearing a goaltender mask, a trademark fellow Body Count bandmember Ernie C attributed to shyness, stating "He didn't want to be a star. He didn't want people to know his face. He just enjoyed playing the music."[2]

Death

Miles was found dead in his apartment in Los Angeles on August 17, 2004, at the age of 44. An autopsy later revealed the cause of death to be lymphoma. Band mate Ice-T has stated that "For me, honestly, after something like that, you can either come to a dead stop or you can go on. [...] It was so emotional. We were in the middle of making a new record together and he goes and dies? It was like, 'Damn!' I mean D-Roc was the backbone of the Body Count sound, He went to school with Ernie and I and for me it was great to bring friends from my childhood along to share in success. Words cannot explain how much we will miss D-Roc, more as a friend than as a band member." Ernie C later stated, "D-Roc was the soul of Body Count, before any of it was big it was just him and me jammin' in my little apartment. He was like my little brother, I taught him how to play, I watched him grow 'musically' and I am positive I speak for Body Count and all of our fans that he will be missed". Miles had two daughters.