Thomas Richard Christy Jr. (born April 1, 1974) is an American drummer and radio personality, best known for being the former drummer for several
heavy metal bands since the early 1990s, most notably
Death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
, and his tenure on ''
The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...
''. Born and raised in
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, Christy took an interest in rock and heavy metal music in his youth, and started playing the drums at age ten. He played in several bands while at school.
Christy's music career began in 1992 when he joined the
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
group Public Assassin, and also worked as an electrician. In 1996, Christy formed Burning Inside and relocated to
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, where he joined and toured with several popular heavy metal bands until 2004, including
Acheron,
Death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
,
Control Denied,
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band currently composed of only Jon Schaffer, formed in Tampa, Florida, and based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist, ma ...
, and
Leash Law.
In 2004, Christy took a break from music and relocated to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to join ''The Howard Stern Show''. He has written, directed, and acted in several home made independent films and has performed as a stand-up comedian. He returned to music in 2009 when he formed his own metal band,
Charred Walls of the Damned.
Early life
Thomas Richard Christy was born in
Fort Scott, Kansas on April 1, 1974. His father is a
Vietnam veteran. Christy grew up in the nearby town of
Redfield,
on a "farm in the middle of nowhere".
According to the
2020 census, the town has a population of 90. He became a fan of
Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
and
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...
from four years old when his aunt introduced him to them
and bought him their albums a year later.
His elder neighbor, a fan of
heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal band ...
, introduced him to ''
Metal Health
''Metal Health'' is the third studio album by the American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Quiet Riot, released on February 28, 1983.FMQB New Releases (Feb. 18, 1983) The album spawned two hit singles: the Slade cover "Cum On Feel the Noize# ...
'' (1983) by
Quiet Riot which had a considerable effect on Christy. He recalled, "I heard those drums and that music and was just blown away. I was new to that whole sound ... Quiet Riot felt like the next step up in terms of heaviness". He proceeded to save up his pocket money to purchase the album on audio cassette.
Albums that influenced him during this time included ''
Stay Hungry'' (1984) by
Twisted Sister and ''
Powerslave'' (1984) by
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
.
In 1992, he started playing the guitar.
Christy wished to learn the drums after he heard "
Hot for Teacher" by
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
, in 1984.
His parents had no issue with his decision, and to this day, they remain supportive of his career. When he turned ten, his parents bought him his first drum pad and sticks, practicing on it before they purchased his first full professional kit at a junkyard for $100. Christy bought instructional videos to improve his technique, including tapes from
Terry Bozzio.
Later in his development, drummers
Dave Lombardo and
Pete Sandoval inspired him to play fast.
He was also influenced by drummers
Frankie Banali,
Mikkey Dee,
Bobby Jarzombek,
Sean Reinert, and
Gene Hoglan.
At fourteen, Christy attended his first concert, seeing
Stryper
Stryper is an American Christian metal and heavy metal music, heavy metal band from La Mirada, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass), and Robert Sweet (musician), ...
and
White Lion
White Lion is an American glam metal band that was formed in New York City in 1983 by Danish vocalist Mike Tramp and American guitarist Vito Bratta. Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, they released their debut album ''Fight to Survive ...
.
Christy's first group was playing in a school band in the mid-1980s which included a position in the school's
marching band, playing the snare drum and tympani,
which he particularly enjoyed, and wrote a song dedicated to the experience and his teachers named "Forever Marching On".
He passed his school music exams, and played in his first "legitimate" rock group, Syzygy, at around fifteen which involved live gigs in local bars.
Around this time, Christy formed a short lived "joke band", Bung Dizeez, along with Paul Brewer, Gary White, and sometimes Les Henderson. Their first gig took place "on a hay wagon at a keg party." The three wore jock straps over their clothes and performing parody songs and
Judas Priest covers.
In 1992, Christy graduated from
Uniontown High School in
Uniontown, Kansas, where he also lettered in baseball.
Career
Music
In 1992, the 18-year-old Christy decided to pursue music in college in Kansas. In the week before he was set to begin, he heard one of his favorite bands, Public Assassin from
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
, were looking for a new drummer. After a successful audition in August 1992, he chose to join them rather than study.
He then moved from his Fort Scott home and into "an old warehouse" in Springfield,
and played on "Raw as Fuck", a same-titled mini-CD, and a demo titled ''Murdered''. They toured the midwest across 1993, playing covers.
As he needed further income to support himself, Christy learned to become a residential electrician. In December 1993, Christy and Public Assassin guitarist Steve Childers formed a comical group, Skip Skiffington and The Elite, with Skiffington on vocals and Rick Granberg on keyboards. During this time, Christy played in a "joke punk band" with several friends named Pisser, playing
GG Allin
Kevin Michael "GG" Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin; August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993) was an American punk rock musician who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. His live performances often featured transgressive acts, i ...
and Cocknoose covers.
In 1995, Public Assassin disbanded after Christy and Childers had several differences with singer/bassist Greg Ponder.
In late 1995, Christy and Childers formed Burning Inside with new recruits Jamie Prim on vocals/bass and, later on, Michael Estes on guitar.
To increase their potential, the group relocated in February 1996 to
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, an area favorable for the metal scene.
Christy arrived by car, carrying everything he owned.
They toured, recorded songs for five metal tribute albums, and produced a six-song demo tape of new material released as ''The Eve of the Entities'' (2000).
Christy stayed in Florida for eight years. His income from music and electric work was limited, so he could only afford accommodation in a storage unit where he also kept and practiced his drums
for as much as six hours each day. With only an outside garden hose to shower with, he later wrote a song about his appreciation for more comfortable living named "The Beast Outside My Window".
Christy joined local metal group
Acheron, touring and playing on ''Anti-God, Anti-Christ'' (1996) and ''Necromanteion Communion'' (1998). His boss at his electrical company allowed him to spend time away to record and tour with his bands.
In 1997, Christy met fellow Orlando resident, singer and guitarist
Chuck Schuldiner
Charles Michael Schuldiner (May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American musician. He cofounded the pioneering Florida death metal band Death in 1983, in which he was the guitarist, primary songwriter and only continuous member until his ...
, in a chance encounter at a Florida book store in
Altamonte Mall.
Schuldiner was, and remains, an influential figure in Christy's career. Christy was a big fan of Schuldiner's metal band
Death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
.
He was aware that the band needed a drummer and his friends B.C Richards and Rick Renstrom of Wicked Ways suggested his name to Chuck and he was offered an audition.
Christy knew "all of their albums ... back and forth",
and auditioned in July 1997 with only Schuldiner and himself present.
The audition was a success, and Christy played on ''
The Sound of Perseverance'' (1998), an album he called "the album I'm most proud of".
In May 1998, Christy toured Europe for four months with Death, which included a spot at the
Dynamo Open Air festival in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
in front of 35,000 people.
A friendship and musical camaraderie with Schuldiner also brought Christy into the line-up of Schuldiner's
progressive metal
Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...
group, the more melodic
Control Denied.
Christy played drums on their debut album, ''
The Fragile Art of Existence'' (1999) and ''When Man and Machine Collide'', an incomplete album that is yet to be released.
The two became close friends, and Christy would spend several
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...
holidays with Schuldiner's family. In December 2001, Schuldiner died from brain cancer. Christy remains close with the family.
Between 1999 and 2004, Christy became a member of
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band currently composed of only Jon Schaffer, formed in Tampa, Florida, and based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist, ma ...
and
Leash Law,
timing his schedule in order to perform in multiple bands at once.
In April 2000, he played with
Incantation
An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial ri ...
on their tour in support of ''
The Infernal Storm'' (2000), playing to audiences of several hundred at each show.
Afterwards, he toured Europe with
Demons and Wizards, playing festivals of up to 20,000 people in attendance.
He landed the gig in Iced Earth through contacts he knew at
Century Media Records, a prominent heavy metal label.
His first live gigs with them followed in August 2000, playing festivals including the
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...
festival in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
In 2004, Christy began a five-and-a-half year hiatus as an active musician, but kept in touch with the metal scene by practicing his drums, attending local concerts, and writing articles for several publications.
By 2008, he started to write new material, playing the guitar more than he had done previously, and ended up with an entire album in demo form.
He signed a recording deal with
Metal Blade Records in 2009 to release an album with his metal
supergroup,
Charred Walls of the Damned. He asked his first choice of musicians to take part in the project: bassist
Steve Di Giorgio, vocalist
Tim "Ripper" Owens and guitarist
Jason Suecof.
It took roughly three months for Christy to settle on the band's name, and had around 200 possible names as "every good band name has been taken".
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2010. Their second, ''Cold Winds on Timeless Days'', followed in 2011. Christy named the latter as the first letter of each word matched the band's initials.
Christy has performed live with
Dream Theater, "A Favor House Atlantic" with
Coheed and Cambria,
Tiwanaku, Rick Renstrom, and
Wykked Wytch.
Sometime after 2011, Christy put together music that featured his three guinea pigs. Three of the songs were released under the band name Boar Glue as part of a split EP with
Hatebeak, another band that features an African grey parrot.
''The Howard Stern Show''
Christy became an avid listener of ''
The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...
'' in 1996 when he moved to Florida,
listening to the program "every morning religiously" with headphones while he worked as an electrician.
After he obtained the number to reach the show's answering machine from the Internet, he began to submit comical voicemail messages in 1999,
that were played frequently on the air.
From 2001, Christy began to send in song parodies and bits about staffers
Robin Quivers and
K.C. Armstrong.
He made his debut appearance on April 24, 2003, when the show was broadcast from the
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. Christy lost a round of
blackjack in hope of winning a date with a porn star.
Following the departure of
"Stuttering John" Melendez in February 2004, Stern announced the Get John's Job contest a month later, pitting ten listeners who had contributed to the show against each other in competition for the vacated position. Each contestant was given a week to display their talents they could bring to the show, after which the listeners voted online for their favorite. Christy produced a required demo CD of his bits, and was selected to compete for the prize of an initial three-month contract and $25,000.
Leaving Iced Earth was a difficult decision for Christy, but felt he could not waste the opportunity to pursue his "dream job" and work for Stern.
He had also grown tired of living in Florida, and wished to move.
On July 1, 2004, Christy won the contest with 30% of the vote;
Sal Governale was second with 24%. By September 2004, both had joined the show as full-time staff members.
Christy then relocated from Florida to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where the show is based.
Christy has become known on the show for his prank calls, song parodies,
and outrageous stunts, usually performed with Governale.
He faced challengers in porn trivia in Stump the Perv, vomited on guests,
received a bikini wax,
and painted his genitals. From 2005, Christy performed nationwide as a stand-up comedian as part of the Killers of Comedy Tour with other show cast members.
In 2006, the show relocated to
Sirius XM Radio. Christy hosted a semi-regular metal show on the
Liquid Metal
A liquid metal is a metal or a metal alloy which is liquid at or near room temperature.
The only stable liquid elemental metal at room temperature is Mercury (element), mercury (Hg), which is molten above −38.8 °C (234.3 K, −37.9  ...
channel named ''Richard Christy's Heavy Metal Hoedown''. Christy also hosted ''Inside the Porn Actors Studio'' on
Howard 101, an interview series that parodied the television series ''
Inside the Actors Studio'' with porn actresses, with Christy filling the role of host
James Lipton.
Film and television
Christy once dreamed of a career in film after he saw
Brad Pitt, from nearby
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
, in ''
Interview with the Vampire''. He hung up posters of Pitt in his New York City apartment, and once worked at a computer store owned by Pitt's parents. He has been a fan of horror films since his youth, and rates ''
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
'' (1978) as his "faaavorite".
In the mid-1990s, while living in Missouri, he started to make his own independent, low budget films. His first, ''Evil Ned 2'', a horror comedy was made in 1994. This was followed by its sequel, ''Evil Ned 3: The Return of Evil Ned 2 – Electric Boogaloo'', in 1995,
with a plot involving "dirty magazines, huge hog testicles, gay monsters,
Amish
The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...
erotica, and evil talking ducks".
The film was produced for $250, "200 of which was spent on beer".
The film premiered at a Missouri hotel,
and was made available online in 2007.
In 2001, Christy released his feature-length film, ''Leaving Grunion County''. Its premiere was held at the
Enzian Theater in
Maitland, Florida that April.
In 2006, Christy and Governale wrote, directed, and starred in the 30-minute comedy film ''
Supertwink'' for Stern's on-demand
digital cable service
Howard Stern On Demand. It premiered at the Pioneer Theater in New York City on January 4, 2006. The film was reviewed by critic
Richard Roeper, who panned it. In 2007, Christy appeared in ''
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay'' playing the role of a
Ku Klux Klansman named Kenny.
In the same year, he landed his first television role ''
Rescue Me'', portraying a "really creepy guy at end of bar". In 2009, he appeared as Caleb in the horror film ''
Albino Farm''.
Also in 2009, Christy and Governale appeared in the 2009 horror novel ''Castaways'', written by horror and crime novelist
Brian Keene. Christy has recorded
voiceovers for the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
shows ''
Metalocalypse'' and ''
Rick and Morty
''Rick and Morty'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated science fiction Animated sitcom, sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadvent ...
''. He guest appeared on the
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
series ''
Uncle Grandpa'', playing Ric. Christy later made a cameo in ''
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' as a character simply named "Down There!".
Christy has written articles for ''Decibel'' magazine about his love for horror films, named "Richard Christy's Horrorscope".
Personal life
Christy married Kristin Jenco on July 30, 2011, in New York City. They have one son, Carson Cain Christy, born in 2017, and affectionately known as "Bubby". Carson is named after former
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
quarterback,
Carson Wentz. The Eagles are Kristin's favorite team. If they have another son, they plan to name him Patrick after
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback,
Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are Richard's favorite team. Prior to
Super Bowl LIV, on the
''Howard Stern Wrap Up Show'', Christy met Patrick Mahomes and tearfully told him that he loved him and explained his intention to name his next son after him.
[February 1, 2019, ''Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show'' (radio) (Live from Atlanta uper Bowl LIII media event] He later named his second son Cameron instead. He is also a
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
fan and attended the
2015 World Series between the Royals and
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
with fellow ''Howard Stern Show'' co-worker
Gary Dell'Abate (who is an avid Mets fan).
Discography
;With
Acheron
* ''Anti-God, Anti-Christ'' (1996)
* ''Necromanteion Communion/Raise the Dead'' (1998)
;With
Death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
* ''
The Sound of Perseverance'' (1998)
* ''
Live in Eindhoven'' (1998)
* ''
Live in L.A. (Death & Raw)'' (1999)
;With
Control Denied
* ''
The Fragile Art of Existence'' (1999)
* ''When Man and Machine Collide'' (unreleased)
;With Burning Inside
* ''The Eve of the Entities'' (2000)
* ''Apparition'' (2001)
;With
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band currently composed of only Jon Schaffer, formed in Tampa, Florida, and based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist, ma ...
* ''
Horror Show'' (2001)
* ''
Tribute to the Gods'' (2002)
* ''
The Glorious Burden'' (2004)
;With
Leash Law
* ''Dogface'' (2003)
*'' Cunninglinguistics'' (2007)
;With
Charred Walls of the Damned
* ''Charred Walls of the Damned'' (2010)
* ''Cold Winds on Timeless Days'' (2011)
* ''Creatures Watching Over the Dead'' (2016)
;With Boar Glue
* ''Glue 'Em All'' (2018)
split with
Hatebeak
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christy, Richard
1974 births
Living people
People from Fort Scott, Kansas
Drummers from Kansas
American heavy metal drummers
American male drummers
20th-century American drummers
21st-century American drummers
American death metal musicians
American radio writers
American stunt performers
Prank calling
Sirius Satellite Radio
Iced Earth members
Death (metal band) members
Charred Walls of the Damned members
Demons & Wizards (band) members
Control Denied members
American male comedians
Comedians from Kansas