Darby Crash
Encyclopedia
Darby Crash (September 26, 1958 – December 7, 1980) was an American
punk
musician who, along with long time friend Pat Smear
(born Georg Ruthenberg), co-founded The Germs
. He died of an intentional heroin overdose
.
Beahm attended IPS (Innovative Program School), a school within University High School in Los Angeles
. The IPS program combined elements of est large group awareness training
and Scientology
.
Before the Germs, Beahm and Pat Smear
called themselves "Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens", but had to shorten this name because they didn't have enough money to put the full name on a t-shirt. After a short stint under the name Bobby Pyn, Beahm changed his name to Darby Crash. The Germs can be seen in the 1981 film The Decline of Western Civilization
, directed by Penelope Spheeris
. Crash discussed taking drugs onstage to avoid feeling injuries from fan violence and "creeps out there with grudges".
. Circle Jerks
drummer Lucky Lehrer
joined the band on the eve of their first (sold-out) live performance, when during soundcheck, Darby kicked out the drummer they'd rehearsed with and convinced Pat Smear to help out on guitar. The band, described by Smear as "like the Germs, but with worse players", played only a few gigs before splitting up.
On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood
hosted a final live show of the reunited band, including drummer Don Bolles.
Crash committed suicide
by drug overdose on December 7, 1980.
which stars Shane West
as Crash, Bijou Phillips
as Lorna Doom, Rick Gonzalez
as Pat Smear, and Noah Segan
as Bolles. The theatrical release was dated for August 8, 2008. There is also a book by the same name, by Kief Hilsbury, a novelization of a young contemporary of Darby Crash who is consumed by his memories of the singer.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
musician who, along with long time friend Pat Smear
Pat Smear
Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters...
(born Georg Ruthenberg), co-founded The Germs
The Germs
The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...
. He died of an intentional heroin overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
.
Early life
Beahm had a troubled childhood; he grew up believing that his biological father left the family and his older brother died of a drug overdose. When in his teens, his sister revealed in an argument that his biological father was really a Swedish sailor named William Björklund.Beahm attended IPS (Innovative Program School), a school within University High School in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The IPS program combined elements of est large group awareness training
Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered a two-weekend course known officially as "The est Standard Training"...
and Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
.
Before the Germs, Beahm and Pat Smear
Pat Smear
Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters...
called themselves "Sophistifuck and the Revlon Spam Queens", but had to shorten this name because they didn't have enough money to put the full name on a t-shirt. After a short stint under the name Bobby Pyn, Beahm changed his name to Darby Crash. The Germs can be seen in the 1981 film The Decline of Western Civilization
The Decline of Western Civilization
The soundtrack was released in December 1980 by Slash Records on LP. In the late 1990s it was released on CD as well. It is currently out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the...
, directed by Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
. Crash discussed taking drugs onstage to avoid feeling injuries from fan violence and "creeps out there with grudges".
Later life and suicide
Shortly after the Germs split, Darby went on to form the short-lived Darby Crash BandDarby Crash Band
The Darby Crash Band was a music project started by Darby Crash and Pat Smear, founding members of the Los Angeles punk rock band, The Germs, formed after the band split in 1980. They recruited bassist David "Bosco" Danford and Circle Jerks drummer Lucky Lehrer and began playing shows in Los Angeles...
. Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
drummer Lucky Lehrer
Lucky Lehrer
Lucky Lehrer is a drummer from Los Angeles, California, voted the best punk drummer of all-time by fanzine, Flipside. He was originally trained in jazz but most famously played in LA punk rock bands, particularly the Circle Jerks, Redd Kross, Bad Religion, Darby Crash Band and LA's Wasted Youth,...
joined the band on the eve of their first (sold-out) live performance, when during soundcheck, Darby kicked out the drummer they'd rehearsed with and convinced Pat Smear to help out on guitar. The band, described by Smear as "like the Germs, but with worse players", played only a few gigs before splitting up.
On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood
Starwood Club
The Starwood Night Club was a popular club in West Hollywood, California from early in 1972 to late 1981. Many punk bands and heavy metal bands started their careers playing at the Starwood....
hosted a final live show of the reunited band, including drummer Don Bolles.
Crash committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by drug overdose on December 7, 1980.
What We Do Is Secret
Crash and The Germs are the subject of the 2007 biopic film What We Do Is SecretWhat We Do Is Secret (film)
What We Do Is Secret is a 2008 American biographical film about Darby Crash, singer of the late-1970s Los Angeles punk rock band the Germs. Rodger Grossman directed the film and wrote the screenplay, based on a story he had written with Michelle Baer Ghaffari, a friend of Crash's and co-producer of...
which stars Shane West
Shane West
Shane West is an American actor, musician and songwriter. West is best known for portraying Eli Sammler in Once and Again, Landon Carter with Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember, Darby Crash in What We Do Is Secret, and Dr...
as Crash, Bijou Phillips
Bijou Phillips
Bijou Lilly Phillips is an American actress, model, and singer. Phillips began her career as a model but soon transitioned herself into acting and singing. When she was 13, she started as a model and became one of the youngest people to grace the cover of Interview Magazine and Italian Vogue....
as Lorna Doom, Rick Gonzalez
Rick Gonzalez
Rick Gonzalez is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture Coach Carter, and as Ben Gonzalez on the CW supernatural drama television series Reaper.-Early life:...
as Pat Smear, and Noah Segan
Noah Segan
-Acting career:He has appeared in Brick, Adam & Steve, What We Do Is Secret , The Picture of Dorian Gray, Cabin Fever 2, All About Evil, an award-winning performance in Deadgirl, Chain Letter and others...
as Bolles. The theatrical release was dated for August 8, 2008. There is also a book by the same name, by Kief Hilsbury, a novelization of a young contemporary of Darby Crash who is consumed by his memories of the singer.