John Stabb Schroeder

John Schroeder, known as John Stabb Schroeder (July 12, 1961 – May 7, 2016), was the vocalist and only constant member of the Washington, D.C. punk band Government Issue, active from 1980 to 1989. Before forming Government Issue, Schroeder played in a band called The Stab. His nickname “Stabb” originated from a note left by Ian MacKaye, who had written “John/Stabb” while taking a phone message — the name stuck and became synonymous with Schroeder’s presence in the D.C. punk scene. After a 112-day battle with stomach cancer, John Stabb Schroeder passed away at a hospice in Rockville, Maryland, on May 7, 2016, at the age of 54.