Darius Novak was born on December 9, 2002. His father worked at a local oil refinery in Gary, Indiana, and he mother was a stay-at-home mom. His parents married one another in 1994 but had difficulty conceiving a child after several attempts over the years. His parents had suffered two miscarriages before Novak was born. Novak was born into a devout Roman Catholic family, and he regularly attended services at their local parish growing up in the suburbs of Gary. Novak attended public schools as a kid and was noted for his bubbly attitude and bright intellect, even early on. In early 2014, at the age of 11, his parents were killed when an out-of-control drunk driver ran the family car off the highway on a return trip from visiting family north of Indianapolis. Novak was the only survivor of the accident. He suffered several broken bones and a punctured lung, but though he had to be hospitalized, he suffered no lasting debilitating physical injuries. The drunk driver, a 35 year old man named David Johnson, was a career criminal with an extensive criminal history, originally from the Oakland, CA, area. Johnson had many prior convictions: second-degree burglary in 1996, possession for sale in 2000, a DUI in 2002, assault with a deadly weapon in 2004, and felony DUI with injury in 2008. He’d moved to Indianapolis in 2011 for a fresh start near distant family. After running Novak’s family off the road, he continued driving for several miles before police, now alerted to his dangerous activities, managed to stop him. He was forcefully stopped after a brief chase but did not sustain any lasting injuries. Johnson was later convicted of two counts of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Causing Death and sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison. He is incarcerated at Indiana State Prison. Novak was deeply impacted by the incident. He was forced to move away from his home to live with family near Indianapolis. He became more emotionally reserved and often adopted a cocky, insolent demeanor when interacting with others. Though bright, Novak’s grades suffered; he struggled to get above a C average in his freshman and sophomore year of high school before improving to a B+ average by the time he graduated. Novak also had issues controlling his temper. Novak interacted with many fellow kids, remaining somewhat popular due to his sense of humor and confident demeanor, despite his anger issues and closed-off emotional state. Many of his friends were not great influences, introducing Novak to alcohol and marijuana in high school. While Novak never took up marijuana as a habit, he developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, even as a teen, something he still struggles with to this day. When he was 13, his aunt and uncle bought him an electric guitar for his birthday-and-Christmas-combined present. Novak had been getting really into rock and heavy metal music. He quickly began learning the instrument, and his skills proved popular with fellow students throughout high school. He often wrote and sang his own songs, in addition to the popular songs he would cover for his friends. After high school, Darius took a break from school instead of attending college despite his high ACT score and decent grades. Working odd jobs to make money, he tried to feel his way through the world and explored his musical talents. He began writing and performing more, attempting to make a career out of it. Now just over 23, Novak continues to aspire to musical stardom as he slowly works his way to success.