Darby Crash

Darby Crash, real name Jan (or John?) Paul Beahm, was the lead singer of early hardcore punk band “The Germs”. Known for his growling, slurred and and often indecipherable vocals (due to the fact that he was often w a s t e d, singing anywhere but into the mic) as well as his insane behavior, he and his band became legendary in the Los Angeles Punk Scene. however, underneath his harsh, violent exterior was a sensitive poet, and through his lyrics, which were rebellious even for punk rock in the day, he analysed politics, media manipulation, and even his own homosexuality. after the breakup of the Germs, he went off to England, apparently trying to start a “Darby Crash Band.” he returned in 1980, and performed one final show with the reunited Germs, on December 3, 1980 to make enough money to buy enough heroin to commit suicide. Darby Crash died on December 7, 1980, by intentional overdose.