Happy Birthday, Darby!

Darby Mills and Lee Aaron
Darby Mills and Lee Aaron circa 2009

2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the Headpins. Wow! How time flies.

What a fine singer and lady. I remember when I was just starting out, Darby was already a well established female Canadian rocker on her 2nd album.

She and I were booked on an outdoor show together in Kitchener, Ontario called ‘Lock Up Your Sons.’ My band had played the night before at a club between Montreal and Quebec City and had to be on stage the next day in the mid-afternoon. Ah yes – the glamorous Rock and Roll lifestyle.

I remember trying to catch a few zzzz’s on a sleeping bag on the floor of our old cargo van with equipment rattling around and the crappy old transmission humming like a chainsaw. I was terrified that I would finally get a chance to share the stage with Darby Mills and my voice would pack it in. She was like this icon, you know?

The show ended up coming off just fine, but I never got to meet Darby that day. She was surrounded by ‘her people’ and I was just a nobody chick singer starting out.

A decade later, in the nineties, we ended up touring together. Fun times.

These days we end up on a show together about once a year. We talk about our kids mostly. Hers are teenagers now – mine are little. She’s got some hysterical stories and some great parenting advice. She tells this story on stage about, how, when her son was about 10, she had left to work ‘on the road’ for a few days while the boys stayed behind with daddy. One of his teachers inquired ‘where’ his mom was and apparently he responded “My mom is working on the street.” Nice.

Happy birthday Darby!

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5 comments on “Happy Birthday, Darby!” …

  1. lol Awesome stuff!

    Darby’s another truly gifted singer. I have the Headpins greatest hits CD and they did a great job on it.

  2. Darby is an Awesome Singer. Saw Headpins at the Regent in Summerside, PEI. Too Loud blew my eardrum when I was next to the Speaker for ‘Breaking Down” I was a Delivery Driver and couldn’t hear any of my pages the next day. Wild Concert, Too Loud, Darby and the bunch put on a THE Best Concert of my life. Lee…you ROCKED at the Misty Moon in Halifax. Too bad that place is closed down now. Saw you at Wier Rockin in Sackville too.

  3. CONGRATS ON 30 yrs…now its 36! 🙂
    I seen Darby with headpins in Leduc Ab..on Canada day…could have been the 30th anniversary yr..it was around that yr..wish I could ask her what yr she was in Leduc lol….anyways, first time I seen a great band in awhile, and one outside…they were awesome..I know she’s coming this summer and I know my sister is going…it was a given that if ever I was back in our home town together, and she was seeing Darby, (because 3 yrs ago they had pics taken at after party..so she’s met her)…I would be there somehow..but that’s not going to happen…:( the importance of me being there is only important to me..so I’ll be left out…and very SAD about IT!
    all u ladies…rockers! Are a big part of my youth.. Your music! Darby, Lee Aaron, Pat Benatar..Holly Woods..Stevie Nicks..Janis…Cher..Jensen Interceptor, Carol King…THANK YOU AND ROCK ON LADIES!!!!

  4. Great story on your life in music Darby. …Happy birthday also yesterday Saturday was at the Grand Forks Canna fest which was great we live two doors from the park. We love the show we watch Ed for two days hope to see you all soon …..Murray and Carol Storrings

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