Darcy Clay


Darcy Clay was a New Zealand singer, songwriter and musician, who was made famous in 1997 for his Number 5 hit "Jesus I Was Evil", in which he recorded all of the instruments in his bedroom on a 4-track recorder. He was signed to Antenna Records.

Background

Darcy grew up in Birkenhead, Auckland. When he was 14 years old he spent 9 months living in Atlanta, Georgia and later lived for 18 months in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia with his Aunt, Che, her husband, Peter, and his cousin, Madelaine.
Darcy Clay's favourite bands were Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, AC-DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and a variety of other metal bands and a broad variety of country and other western music. He very much enjoyed "The Highwaymen" and had a deep appreciation of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. All of his songs on the EP "Jesus I was Evil" were written, played, recorded, and produced by Darcy Clay alone.

Music

Clay's entire career output consisted of two six track EPs, Jesus I Was Evil and a live EP Songs For Beethoven, recorded on DAT tape when he opened for Blur's 1997 New Zealand performance. The two EPs were reissued back to back as an album entitled Darcy Anthology, featuring a bonus CD of all of Darcy Clay music videos, interview footage and press clippings created before his death in 1998.
His music has been described as "country-fried punk rock" - his Jesus I Was Evil EP featured a cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene, amongst other somewhat country-flavoured rock songs.
Clay's song "All I Gotta Do" was covered by the English rock band "Hot Leg" and released on the b-side of their hit single "Cocktails".
Clay's song "Jesus I Was Evil" was covered by Australian group Butterfingers.

Awards

Death

Darcy Clay took his own life on 15 March 1998. At the time of his suicide Clay was scheduled to perform on 9 April 1998 at the Levi's Life Festival, a suicide prevention and awareness event.