Richard Christy is an American-born drummer, radio personality, comedian, and actor. An iconic drummer, he founded the metal band Burning Inside in 1995. In the meantime, he has also played for several other bands, including Acheron, Death, Control Denied, Iced Earth, and Leash Law.
Richard is also known for his work as a performer and writer on the Howard Stern Show. After a five-year break, Richard Christy returned to music in 2009 and formed another heavy metal band called Charred Walls of the Damned.
Richard Christy Biography
Thomas Richard Christy Jr. was born on April 1, 1974, in Fort Scott, Kansas. However, he grew up in the nearby town of Redfield in Bourbon County.
Richard showed an interest in music at the age of 4, and he was a big fan of the rock band Kiss and various other music groups. He was strongly influenced by the music of several rock bands such as Quiet Riot, Twisted Siste, and Iron Maiden. Richard started playing guitar at the age of 18 and was also influenced by drummers such as Dave Lombardo, Pete Sandoval, Frankie Banali, Mikkey Dee, Bobby Jarzombek, Sean Reinert, and Gene Hoglan.
Richard Christy gained his first drumming experience as a snare drummer and timpanist in the marching band of his school. Later he joined a rock band called Syzygy, and at the age of 15, he started playing live shows. This guy would later form his own band, but it only lasted for a while.
After graduating from high school in 1992, Richard Christy decided to study music at college. However, he rejected the idea of going to college after he successfully auditioned for a job as a drummer in one of his favorite rock bands, “Public Assassin”. He then moved from Fort Scoot to join the other members in Springfield, Missouri. While performing with the band, Christy also worked part-time as an electrician to support himself. Public Assassin finally disbanded in 1995 after a dispute among the band members.
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Richard Christy then formed the band “Burning Inside” together with Steve Childers. They also recruited singer/bassist Jamie Prim and guitarist Michael Estes. The group moved to Orlando, Florida in February 1996. Christy also performed with the metal band Acheron to supplement his income. He also played for the metal band Death (1996-2001), Control Denied (1997-2001), Iced Earth (1999-2004), and Leash Law (2003-2004). Christy left Leash Law in 2004, which was followed by a more than a 5-year break from music.
In September 2004 Richard Christy joined Howard Stern’s The Howard Stern Show as a replacement for “Stuttering John” Melendez after winning an online talent contest for the position. He also played stand-up comedy together with other members of the cast. In 2006 he wrote, directed, and starred in the short comedy film Supertwink for Stern’s on-demand pay-TV service Howard Stern On Demand. Richard Christy’s acting achievements also include Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), Castaways (2009), and Albino Farm (2009) alongside Chris Jericho.
After a successful 5-year television stay, Richard Christy finally returned to his first love, music. In 2009 he formed the heavy metal band Charred Walls of the Damned together with bassist Steve Di Giorgio, vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens, and guitarist Jason Suecof. The band released their debut album of the same name in 2010, followed by their second studio album Cold Winds on Timeless Days in 2011.
In 2017 Richard Christy had a short role in the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which also featured Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper.
His Wife, Dad (Parents), and Sister
As a teenager, Richard Christy received immense support for his music career from his parents. At the age of 10, he received his very first drum pad and drumsticks from his parents. Impressed by his interest in music, Christy’s parents later bought the first complete professional kit for their boy wonder.
Christy grew up with two siblings: Sister Kim (David) Hart and brother David (Connie) Christy. His father, Tom Christy, served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. Not much is known about his mother Pat Christy.
In contrast to his busy career, Richard Christy can be considered a late bloomer in terms of his relationships. In 2003, the multi-talented artist revealed that he had lived in celibacy for 10 years. It is unclear when Christy’s period of celibacy came to an end, but he remained unattached for several years afterward.
On July 30, 2011, Richard Christy married a woman named Kristin Jenco. On November 7, 2017, the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Carson Cain Christy.
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Richard Christy’s Net Worth
A jack-of-all-trades, Christy Richard is also distinguished by his consistency throughout his long showbiz career. At the age of 18, after graduating from high school as a drummer, he immersed himself directly in music and went on tour with various bands.
Since 2004 Christy Richard is also a member of the line-up of the Howard Stern Show. After some acting successes, the multi-talented artist returned to music in 2009 and founded another heavy metal band.
All these and several other ventures have helped him to build up a net worth of about $200,000. However, this is only a rough estimate and does not represent the true value of his assets.
