CJ Wildheart (real name Christopher Paul Persaud-Jagdhar) is a British rock musician most prominently known as the guitarist and co-founder of English rock band the Wildhearts.
Don’t Be Happy…Just Worry Hailing from Colchester, U.K., CJ grew up in military bases in Europe and Malaysia while his parents served in the British Army; his family moved back to the U.K. when he was in his teens. He began developing his professional music career, performing in various bands and experiencing moderate success with the London-based Tattooed Love Boys. The band released their debut album, Bleeding Hearts & Needle Marks, in 1988 before splitting up shortly afterward, and CJ co-founded the Wildhearts in 1989 with former guitarist of the Quireboys, David Walls (aka as Ginger). CJ was an integral cog in the Wildhearts machine, appearing on the group’s first two EPs, Mondo Akimbo A-Go-Go and Don’t Be Happy…Just Worry in 1992. Their debut full-length, Earth vs. the Wildhearts, was released in 1993. The band experienced further success when that album was reissued in 1994 with the hit single “Caffeine Bomb,” a track promoted by an infamous video in which Ginger vomited into CJ’s face.
CJ recorded the albums Renaissance Men and 21st Century Love Song with the band in 2019 and 2021 respectively.