Doc Corbin Dart (born March 16, 1953) is an American musician and former vocalist of the 1980s
Lansing, Michigan punk rock band
the Crucifucks. As of the early 2000s, he is also known by his moniker 26.
Dart's unorthodox vocal stylings have been described as wailing and alarming, while others have described them favorably as heartfelt and influenced by
Pete Shelley
Pete Shelley (born Peter Campbell McNeish; 17 April 1955 – 6 December 2018) was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 wh ...
of iconic UK punk group
Buzzcocks. His lyrics alternate between personal themes of abandonment and depression, and an
anarchist worldview.
Musical career
The Crucifucks
In 1982, The Crucifucks formed and signed to
Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
's
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, ...
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
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is a fraternal organization consisting of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It reports a membership of over 355,000 members organized in 2,100 local chapters (lodges), state lodges, and th ...
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.
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''; which dealt with themes such as the
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorism in the United States, domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-federal go ...
, U.S. wars in the Middle East, the
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...
, suicide, and police brutality.
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 2002 he started a new project called LD Eye. 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
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
on his 'I Blow Minds For A Living' Spoken Word Tour.
Personal life
In 1989, Dart was a candidate for
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Lansing on a platform of police reform. Dart stated he would appoint a citizen’s commission to hear complaints about officers. “We’ll weed out the bad ones,” he said. “If we have to weed out the bad officers, we’ll do it.” He stated that police hassle citizens and focus on petty crimes while not paying enough attention to rape and other serious offenses. He also pledged half of the $67,000 Mayor’s salary to set up a rape counseling and education center. 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
A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on cardboard, silk, or plastic. In the 1950s they came with a stick of gum and a limited number of cards. These cards feature one or more baseball players, teams, stad ...
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
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
. 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 is also a supporter of the
Animal Liberation Front
The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is an international, leaderless, decentralized political and social resistance movement that engages in and promotes non-violent direct action in protest against incidents of animal cruelty. It originated in th ...
.
Dart has
borderline personality disorder and his first solo album, ''Patricia'', was named after his therapist.
Dart is the son of
Rollin Dart, former chair of
Dart National Bank, cousins of the
Dart Container
Dart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan, United States, is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined. Dart Container is privately held by the Dart family.
In May 201 ...
family. Dart is divorced and has two children.
References
External links
Unofficial Crucifucks PageAlternative Tentacles' Doc Corbin Dart/Crucifucks PageCrustacean Records*
Sam McPheetersThe Troublemaker ''
Vice Magazine
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
'', 16(1) January 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2009. Though not referenced above, this source confirms all points herein.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dart, Doc
1953 births
Living people
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers
American punk rock singers
Alternative rock singers
Alternative Tentacles artists
Anti-Americanism
American anti-war activists
American collectors
American folk singers
American women's rights activists
Michigan State University alumni
Musicians from Lansing, Michigan
Self-declared messiahs
Singers from Michigan
People from Okemos, Michigan
People with borderline personality disorder
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers