John Joseph Lydon (born 31 January 1956), also known by his stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead singer of the late-1970s British punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and again for various revivals during the 1990s and 2000s. He is also the lead singer of post-punk band Public Image Ltd (PiL), which he founded and fronted from 1978 until 1993, and again since 2009.
Lydon's outspoken persona, rebellious image and fashion style led to his being asked to become the singer of the Sex Pistols by their manager, Malcolm McLaren. With the Sex Pistols, he penned singles including "Anarchy in the U.K.," "God Save the Queen", "Pretty Vacant" and "Holidays in the Sun", the content of which precipitated what one commentator described as the "last and greatest outbreak of pop-based moral pandemonium" in Britain. The band scandalised much of the media, and Lydon was seen as a figurehead of the burgeoning punk movement. Because of their controversial lyrics and disrepute at the time, they are regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music. [source: Wikipedia]
Sid Vicious, born John Simon Ritchie, was an English musician and vocalist. He achieved fame as a member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, replacing Glen Matlock, who had fallen out of favour with the rest of the group. American expatriate Chrissie Hynde, before she formed the Pretenders, tried to convince Ritchie to join her in a sham marriage so she could get a work permit in the UK. John Lydon nicknamed Ritchie "Sid Vicious" after Lydon's pet hamster Sid.
Paul Thomas Cook (born 20 July 1956 in Shepherd's Bush, London) is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He was also called "Cookie" by his friends on the punk music scene. Cook was raised in Hammersmith and attended the Christopher Wren School, now Phoenix High School, London in White City Estate, Shepherds Bush, where he met Steve Jones. The pair became good friends and while bunking off school. In 1972–1973, Cook and Jones, along with their school friend Wally Nightingale, formed a band, The Strand. Within the next three years The Strand evolved into the Sex Pistols. [source: Wikipedia]
William Michael Albert Broad (born November 30, 1955), better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. He first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X. He then embarked on a successful solo career, aided by a series of stylish music videos, making him one of the first MTV stars. Idol continues to tour with guitarist Steve Stevens and has a worldwide fan base.
Ariane Daniela Forster, known by her stage name Ari Up, was a German vocalist best known as a member of the English post-punk band The Slits. In 1976, at the age of 14, Up formed the Slits with drummer Palmolive. Soon after the Slits were touring as the opening act for the Clash. Ari Up's love of reggae led the Slits into a "jungly" dub style. She was the most flamboyant member of the group, becoming known for her wild hair and stage outfits. She can be seen briefly in the film "Rude Boy" (1980), associating with the Clash backstage. Her 1977 performances with the Slits are featured in "The Punk Rock Movie" (1978), a documentary release of various punk group club performances, principally at The Roxy. The Slits disbanded in 1981. Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band with new members in 2005, as Viv Albertine was unwilling to rejoin, and in 2006 released the EP Revenge of the Killer Slits. In 2008, Ari Up was diagnosed with breast cancer. On 20 October 2010, Ari Up died in Los Angeles, aged 48.
Viviane Katrina Louise "Viv" Albertine is an Australian-born British singer and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the English punk group the Slits.
Paloma McLardy (née Romero, born 26 December 1954), known as Palmolive, is a Spanish drummer and songwriter who was a member of influential early punk bands. She founded the Slits toward the end of 1976. After leaving that group in 1978, she joined the Raincoats and performed on their first album, The Raincoats.
Palmolive is featured in the documentary film "Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits," and also appeared in the 2019 four-part Epix documentary "Punk."
John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known from May of 1975 as Joe Strummer, was a British musician, singer, composer, actor and songwriter who was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the Clash, a rock band formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon (born 30 May 1955) is an English drummer, best known as the drummer of punk rock band the Clash. Known for his instrumental contributions to the drumming world, Headon was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of The Clash in 2003.
He joined the Clash in 1977 and became famed for his drumming skills. He received his nickname owing to his resemblance to Mickey the Monkey from the Topper comic.
Jayne County (born Wayne Rogers in 1947) is an American performer, musician and actress whose career has spanned several decades. Formerly known as Wayne County, she went on to be rock's first transsexual singer. Though she has never been a commercial success, she has been an influence on musicians such as David Bowie, The Ramones, Patti Smith, and Lou Reed. Pianist Jools Holland's first studio outing was with County on her single "Fuck Off". She is known for her outrageous stage antics and her songs "Are You Man Enough To Be A Woman", "Fuck Off", "Stuck On You," and "Night Time". County was previously an actress at Andy Warhol's The Factory.
Susan Janet Ballion, known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and producer. She is best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and the drums-and-voice duo the Creatures.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Siouxsie Sioux, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
John Anthony Genzale, better known by his stage name Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist.
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Don Letts (born 10 January 1956) is a British film director and musician. He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and reggae music.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Don Letts, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.