What does the D in Tenacious D stand for?

17 July 2024, 17:59 | Updated: 7 August 2024, 12:29

Jack Black and Kyle Gass have been rocking as a comedy duo since 1994, but what's the meaning of their famous name?

This week brought the news that Jack Black cancelled the remainder of Tenacious D's tour dates after his bandmate Kyle Gass made an off colour joke about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Jack Black soon took to Instagram to release a statement saying he was "blindsided" by Gass's actions, while Gass later apologised for his "terrible mistake".

The duo may be in the hot seat at the moment, but they've been rocking audiences and making people laugh for over 30 years.

Find out the origin story of the band and their name here...

Who is Tenacious D?

Tenacious D were formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, California by Jack Black and Kyle Gass, who were members of the Actors' Gang theater company.

Most known for their epic Tribute anthem, the duo have released four studio albums and a comedy fantasy film in Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny.

They boast Hollywood cameos and rock star and celebrity friends in the likes of Tony Hawk and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, who appeared as the devil in their Tribute video and has drummed with them multiple times on stage.

Watch the official video for Tribute here:

Tenacious D - Tribute (Video)

The satirical rockers have been entertaining audiences with their zany music, releasing their Post-Apocalypto album in 2018 and recently embarking on their (now cancelled) Spicy Meatball Tour.

But what the HELL does the D stand for in their name? Find out here...

What does the D stand for in Tenacious D?

With their sometimes outrageous gags and potty humour, might think that D stands for something rather crass, but it was actually stolen from a basketball term.

Jack Black explained in an interview with Bill Simmons on Grantland: "We were deep into the lakey lakes (LA Lakers) in the late 80s and early 90s, and we were jamming a lot at Kyle's apartment and watching basketball and jamming and getting high, and we were thinking 'what would be the best name for a band?'

"And for some reason we were laughing so hard at the idea of a band being called Tenacious D".

Watch a clip to see Jack Black explain all:

How Did ''Tenacious D'' Get Its Name?

It turns out they couldn't get enough of NBA commentator Mark Robert, who would exclaim: "tenacious defence!"

Black recalled: "I don't even know if he ever said the word 'D', I think we might have made that abbreviation for him, but yeah I think we were just really stoned..."

The High Fidelity star added: "Now I think Tenacious D is not that funny. It's not the funniest name I've ever heard".

Watch Jack Black review his own IMDB profile:

Jack Black Hilariously Tries Chris Hemsworth's 'Thor' Workout

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