Christy Darlington

Early life

Christy Brigitte Darlington was born Chris Edward Zoys, on December 1, 1972, in Dallas, Texas. He attended private Christian schools such as Heritage Christian Academy, Trinity Christian Academy, and Episcopal School of Dallas, and would later thank “his Lord and savior Jesus Christ” in the liner notes for the album Louder than Morrissey.

Darlington eventually graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1991.

Musical career

From 1991 to 1993 Darlington was singing and writing songs for a punk rock band called "T.B.A.", which performed a few shows and made a live recording and two studio recordings. In 1994 he joined a punk rock band called The Voyeurs (which opened up for The Offspring), but Darlington quit the band six months later.

Mess

In 1995, Christy Darlington formed a punk rock band called "Mess" with drummer Steven Visneau and bassist Ron Malippa. Christy was responsible for writing and arranging almost all the songs for the band as well as maintaining a role as the lead singer and guitarist. The band's first single Sugar Fix was featured on a compilation released by Clear Channel Communications Rock FM radio station KDGE entitled Tales from the Edge Volume 11., followed by another single, Butt-in-ski, on the Dallas Observer compilation CD Scene, Heard Vol. 2. The band featured four second guitarists, most notably Phil Karnats of Tripping Daisy fame and Dylan Silvers who went on to other bands, including The Polyphonic Spree. On Mess releases, Darlington was listed as "Cris Mess", a stage name. He did not use that as a legal name at the time and was still using his original birth name. The band achieved local notoriety resulting in being featured with The Mullens on a split vinyl EP released by Direct Hit Records and the band subsequently signed to Dallas indie label Last Beat Records and released their first and only full-length album Pretty Ugly in 1997 as well as a vinyl EP with Los Angeles band 22 Jacks. Two songs on the album were named after Jim beam and Goldschlager. Mess also recorded a cover version of the Mötley Crüe song Red Hot for a compilation, and the song Brain Dead was featured on pro skateboarder Duane Peters' Disaster Records compilation Old Skars and upstarts. Many of the "mess-era" recordings would later be reissued under the Darlington name. In late 1997, the band was notified a Chicago-area band called "The Mess" had the name copyrighted and was threatening legal action if the name was not changed. Starting in late 1996 thru late 1997, Mess played its first out of town concert opening for the band Fastball and performed multiple U.S. tours between January and September 1997, including opening slots for major label bands NY Loose, The Reverend Horton Heat, Keanu Reeves' group Dogstar, Radish, Funland, Hagfish, Tripping Daisy, Fluffy, 22 Jacks, The Queers, Swingin Utters, Agent Orange, At the Drive-in, Showcase Showdown, Furious George and The U.S. Bombs. Mess also performed at the Texas State Mental Hospital in Terrell, Texas to a crowd of around 100 patients, eclipsing The Cramps who had previously been the only rock and roll band known to have performed in a mental hospital. although no video was allowed, a photo of the band sitting on the entrance sign was featured on a split vinyl EP they shared with 22 Jacks. The band also recorded a live concert at the famed CBGB rock venue in New York City, although this would only be released later under the Darlington name.

Darlington

Christy disbanded Mess towards the end of 1997 and legally changed his name to Christy Brigitte Darlington. He then named his new music project Darlington. Christy has publicly stated that he changed his name because he wanted a "flashy rock-n-roll name". The derivative of Christy is a variant spelling of Christie, which is a predominantly masculine name in the British Isles. Brigitte is a common French spelling popularized by actress Brigitte Bardot.

Darlington has released 19 full length vinyl, CD, and digital albums, 8 vinyl and digital EPs, contributed to approximately 22 compilations, and roughly 5 split EPs with several other acts since 1998. All of the releases were on independent record labels in the U.S., Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, and Russia, including Louder than Morrissey and Moron-a-thon on Dutch indie label Stardumb Records, All the wrong moves on New York label Whoa Oh Records, a single release of "X-Mas" on an Idol Records Christmas compilation, the Bowling Betty vinyl EP and Live Dallas 1999 album on Mutant Pop Records and 2 tracks on Go-Kart Records MP300 Raceway CD. Darlington's 1998 full-length album Girltroversy released by Last Beat Records was the first under the Darlington name and considered by most critics, press and fans to be his most influential album.

In 2000, Darlington was featured on a split CD release entitled Split (The Huntingtons and Darlington album) on New York record label Melted Records with The Huntingtons, after which Darlington's most extensive U.S. tour followed the release featuring Darlington opening up for The Huntingtons. In 2004, professional Skateboarder Duane Peters signed Darlington to his record label Disaster Records and designed the sleeve art for the only album Darlington recorded for Disaster, entitled Euthanize me. In 2007, Darlington Recorded a live album entitled Live Dallas 2007 which was produced and mixed by Todd and Toby Pipes of the band Deep Blue Something and limited to 1000 hand-numbered CD copies. In 2008, Darlington released a limited-to-1000 hand-numbered CD copies mini-anthology entitled indoor-outdoor Luxury BBQ, of which the title was inspired by an episode of the British television program Keeping Up Appearances.

Aside from a few compilations and limited vinyl releases, Darlington's only full-length recordings between 2009 and 2011 were all available digitally only.

In 1998 he performed a second concert at the Texas State Mental hospital in Terrell, Texas. This time the show was attended by 100+ patients and documented in the Dallas Observer by a local reporter. Darlington also performed on a benefit concert for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. From 1998 to 2011 Darlington opened for Lagwagon, Bowling for soup, DGeneration, Centro-matic, The Click Five, The Apers, Teen Idols, The Lillingtons, The Huntingtons, Bratmobile, The Queers, The Unlovables, Good Riddance, The Eyeliners, SR-71 (band), The Prozacs, Red Lightning and appeared on the Vans Warped tour twice.

In 2012, Hollywood-based independent record label, Broadway Recording Company, signed Darlington to a contract. Darlington repackaged previously released solo material under the band name Sunglasses&Sugar, and released it on an album entitled Vuvuzuelas. After putting together a lineup and performing live, "Sunglasses&Sugar" recorded a three song Maxi-Single entitled Tinsel Tree that was produced and mixed by Salim Nourallah. These songs were rerecorded versions of Darlington songs. After eight live shows, which included opening up for singer Lezlie Deane's band Scary cherry and the bang bangs, The Dollyrots, and Jaret Reddick's band People on Vacation, Darlington disbanded the project to work with Broadway Recording Company on compiling out-of-print releases for reissue and writing new material.

Darlington's radio show, "The Moron-a-thon" became syndicated weekly on Deep Ellum Radio in February 2014, lasting for 46 episodes until August 2014.

In 2015 Darlington resumed touring across the U.S. performing without a full band live, completely solo playing only an electric guitar. He also released new limited-run cassette and vinyl releases on California-based Jerkoff Records and Wiener Records (a subsidiary of Burger Records). Broadway Recording Company also revamped Darlington's digital releases to coincide with new recordings and touring. Darlington's Moron-a-thon radio show episodes were moved to the podbean website where more episodes were posted, includes ones with guest co-host such as Erik Chandler of Bowling for soup and Mike Graff of Course of Empire. Darlington also performed live on bass guitar for a few shows with Austin band The Sweethearts. From 2015 to the present, Darlington has been performing regularly all over the U.S. completely solo with no band and only an electric guitar as accompaniment.

Collaborations

During the 1998 U.S. Tours, Christy was asked by Joe Queer of The Queers to collaborate on a recording with Green Day but for reasons unknown it never happened.

In 2008, he co-wrote the songs SUV and Girls + Summer = Fun! with Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup. Reddick and other Bowling For Soup members, Erik Chandler and Gary Wiseman, performed on the songs as Christy's band.The two singles were released digitally in 2009.

Songwriting

Although he has written and recorded a wide variety of songs, Christy Darlington is most well known for writing songs about, inspired by, or poking fun at famous people. This includes actress Jodie Foster, supermodels Karen Elson and Gisele Bundchen, Olympic athletes Lolo Jones and Picabo Street, adult film stars Bobbi Starr, Phoenix Marie and Brittany O'Connell, fictional characters Marcia Brady and Judy Jetson, Donna A of The Donnas, singer Theo Kogan of The Lunachicks, Tiffany (American singer), singer Belinda Carlisle, Julius Sumner Miller and Joe Queer of The Queers. He has also mentioned supermodels Kate Moss, Niki Taylor, Amber valletta and Shalom Harlow, singer Debbie Gibson, and Canadian band Chixdiggit! in song lyrics.

In turn, the band Johnie 3 recorded a sarcastic ode to Darlington entitled Christy Brigitte Darlington. There is a brick in the courtyard of the Latino cultural center in Dallas with Christy Brigitte Darlington inscribed on it that Darlington paid for with a donation.

He has also gained attention for personalizing song lyrics by using real life places and products such as Disneyland, Vogue Magazine, and the Toyota Corolla, as well as a song entitled NASA in which the lyrics claim Darlington participated in a medical research study for NASA.

Some of Darlington's offensive songs have drawn criticism for their sexually explicit lyrical nature including "ATM" and "Boobs, Boobs, Boobs", while others such as "Ashley's a prostitute" feature lyrics that portray Darlington as friends with a real-life prostitute. Publicity and advertising for the Sex album was also criticized for the promotional website and Orthotricyclen inspired CD packaging. Darlington's is known for obnoxious banter with the audience as evidenced on the three live albums he has recorded. Generally, Christy Darlington has been known for songs with obnoxious, sarcastic and often sexually suggestive or explicit lyrics, some with a left-leaning political bent.

Darlington has been known for re-arranging cover songs in a rock/punk format and performing them live. Artists he has covered include Selena, Mötley Crüe, Madonna, Bobby Rydell, Dum Dum Girls, The Chiffons, Hilary Duff, Beyonce, Ghost town DJs, Morrissey, The Riverdales, and The Ramones.

Other work

While most famous for his extensive musical career but has worked in other fields between touring and recording. In the 90's he was an intern for Harpers Bazaar fashion magazine in New York, and worked for several fashion retail companies including Old navy, Gap, Contempo Casuals, Claire's, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie and fitch, Pacific Sunwear, Steve Madden and Hot topic.

In 2009, Darlington maintained a blog he titled Sunglasses&Sugar in which he conducted interviews with many famous and semi-famous people from various walks of life which included Mark Pirro of Tripping Daisy and The Polyphonic Spree, Cliffy Huntington of The Huntingtons, Joe Queer of The Queers, Zach Blair of Rise Against and Hagfish band, Phanie Diaz of Girl in a coma, Tish Ciravolo of Daisy Rock Guitars, Boz Boorer of Morrissey's band, singer Alice Bag, Brendan B. Brown of Wheatus, singer Brijitte West of the band NY Loose, Darley Newman, host of Equitrekking, and Julie Schablitsky of Time Team America. In late 2009, the blog was discontinued and deleted, but the interviews were all archived online by Times Beach Magazine.

In 2015 Darlington published a magazine entitled "Sunglasses&Sugar", which revisited old Q&As from his old blog as well as featuring new Q&As. The printing run was limited to 2 issues printed in limited quantity and distributed at his live concerts and by mail.

In 2012, he became a published author with his first novel, entitled "Babycakes". The 600 plus page fictional account of a female protagonist named "Babycakes" was published through Amazon on paperback and as an e-book.

Darlington has also produced paintings and art pieces as well as created concert poster art for himself as well as Sunglasses&Sugar.

Controversy

Christy publicly disputed sales and royalty figures with several record labels, as well as publicly took issue with publications he felt cast him in an unfavorable light.

There are many stories of Darlington doing outrageous, controversial, or wacky things, likely as publicity stunts. These include sending a bouquet of roses with a CD and concert invite to supermodel Amber valletta during an appearance at Neiman Marcus, Darlington appearing onstage in drag, and regular appearances on KTCK radio station on a former night time talk radio show called the Wild Ass Circus.

Sex offense

After a three-year legal battle over a charge of sexual assault stemming from a 2006 consensual sexual encounter with a 16 year old female, Darlington accepted a plea bargain in 2009 for five years deferred adjudication probation as well as mandatory counseling. He was also required to register as a sex offender. Texas state law prohibited Mr. Darlington from presenting evidence in court as part of his defense showing that the female misrepresented her age to him. Mr. Darlington appealed the case, challenging this Texas law, but the appeal was denied. Mr. Darlington completed probation and counseling successfully in November 2014. In 2016 the state of Texas approved application for Mr. Darlington to be removed from the sex offender registry, but the Judge would not sign off on the removal unless the Dallas DA office also signed off on the removal. The DA office refused to sign off, choosing to leave Mr. Darlington on the registry for the foreseeable future.

Discography