Doc Corbin Dart
Doc Corbin Dart | |
---|---|
Also known as | 26 |
Born | March 16, 1953 |
Genres | Punk rock, folk, alternative rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1978-present |
Labels |
Crustacean Records Alternative Tentacles |
Associated acts |
L.D. Eye The Crucifucks |
Doc Corbin Dart (born March 16, 1953) is an American punk rock singer. He was lead singer, founder, and lyricist of the Lansing, Michigan 1980s punk rock band The Crucifucks. As of the early 2000s, he is also known by his moniker 26, having repeatedly declared himself the Messiah and renounced profanity.
Dart's unorthodox vocal stylings have been described as wailing and alarming,[1] while others have described them favorably as heartfelt and influenced by Pete Shelley of iconic UK punk group Buzzcocks.[2] His lyrics alternate between personal themes of abandonment and depression,[3] and an anarchist worldview.
The Crucifucks
In 1982, The Crucifucks formed and signed to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles Records. They released the self-titled The Crucifucks a year later followed up with Wisconsin. In 1992, these records were re-released as a CD titled 'Our Will Be Done'.
The back cover of Our Will Be Done featured a photo of what Dart believed was a slain policeman; the photo was actually from a Philadelphia Police Department drill. Doc is perhaps best known for the 1996 lawsuit filed over the use of this photo. The Philadelphia chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police sued the Crucifucks, Alternative Tentacles, Jello Biafra, and Borders Inc. alleging libel and slander. The trial court awarded a $2.2 million default judgement which was vacated on appeal the following year. (Initially, Borders Books, which operated a Philadelphia record store that carried the album, was also a defendant in the suit.)
In 1998, The Crucifucks reformed and did a brief national tour, including a performance at Alternative Tentacles' 20th Anniversary Party. They also released their first CD in nearly a decade, called L.D. Eye with its anti-war chiller Lights Over Baghdad.
Solo material
Doc Dart has recorded several solo projects: Patricia (1990, Alternative Tentacles, LP/cassette only) and 'Black Tuesday' (1991, self-released, cassette only). In 2004 he changed his name to 26 and released a solo CD, The Messiah on Madison, Wisconsin's Crustacean Records. Dart opened up for Jello Biafra on his 'I Blow Minds For A Living' Spoken Word Tour.
Personal life
In 1989, Dart was a candidate for mayor of Lansing; he finished third of three in the August 8, 1989 city primary election with 5% of the vote.
Dart continues to be a mainstay of alternative culture in Lansing, Michigan, regularly showing up in local papers. For a long time, Dart ran a baseball card store in a small collection of shops on Michigan Avenue. These shops were located near Sparrow Hospital, where he petitioned the city to open a women's crisis center, serving as one of its original board members.
Currently residing in Okemos, Michigan, Dart created a stir with his anti-American sentiments following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Signs attached to the front of his home read, in part, "U.S. Troops terrorize as cowards from the skies. They should be in body bags." He also claims to be a supporter of the Animal Liberation Front.[4]
Dart is the son of Rollin Dart, former chair of Dart National Bank, cousins of the Dart Container family. Dart is a divorced father of two adult children.
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/our-will-be-done-r72132
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/wisconsin-r4875
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/patricia-r72254
- ↑ Chad Dally, Okemos Dissenter Draws Death Threats at the Wayback Machine (archived September 17, 2002), Lansing City Pulse, October 24, 2001. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
External links
- Unofficial Crucifucks Page
- Alternative Tentacles' Doc Corbin Dart/Crucifucks Page
- Crustacean Records
- Article concerning the initial Crucifucks lawsuit
- Article on the lawsuit appeal
- Sam McPheeters, The Troublemaker, Vice Magazine, 16(1) January 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2009. Though not referenced above, this source confirms all points herein.