User:IllaZilla/Darby Crash
Musical artist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jan Paul Beahm (September 26, 1958 – December 7, 1980), known primarily by the pseudonym Darby Crash, was an American punk rock singer and songwriter who was the the founder and singer of the Germs from 1977 to 1980. The Germs' 1977 debut single "Forming" is regarded as the first record to emerge from the Los Angeles punk rock scene, and was followed by the 1978 single "Lexicon Devil" and 1979 album (GI). Crash developed a reputation for his charisma, theatricality, unpredictable behavior, and socially critical lyrics, while struggling with an increasing drug habit and his burgeoning homosexuality. The Germs disbanded in early 1980 and Crash spent time in London, after which he returned to Los Angeles and fronted the short-lived Darby Crash Band. Following a final Germs show in December 1980, Crash committed suicide by intentionally overdosing on heroin.
Darby Crash | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jan Paul Beahm |
Also known as | Bobby Pyn |
Born | (1958-09-26)September 26, 1958 Los Angeles, California |
Died | December 7, 1980(1980-12-07) (aged 22) Los Angeles, California |
Genres | Punk rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Years active | 1977–1980 |
Labels | What?, Slash |
Posthumously, Crash gained cult popularity as a legendary figure in the Los Angeles punk scene. The Germs, and Crash in particular, were featured in the 1981 documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization. His life and career were documented in the books We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk (2001) and Lexicon Devil: The Fast Times and Short Life of Darby Crash and the Germs (2002) and portrayed in the 2008 biographical film What We Do Is Secret. Actor Shane West, who played Crash in the film, replaced him in a re-formed Germs lineup that performed sporadically for a few years.