Ian Dury
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2008-07-16T13:59:03Z
Twsx
1964288
fixing genre capitalization mistakes per [[Wikipedia:MUSTARD#Capitalization|WP:MUSTARD]] -> [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_(capital_letters)#Musical_genres|MOS:CAPS]] + cleanup.
{{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Ian Dury
| Img = S&D&R&Rsingle.png|
| Img_capt = Ian Dury, on the cover of [[Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll]]
| Img_size = 150px
| Landscape =
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Ian Robbins Dury
| Alias =
| Born = {{birth date|1942|05|12}}<br/><small>[[Harrow, London|Harrow]], [[Middlesex]]</small>
| Origin = [[Upminster]], [[England]]
| Died = {{death date and age|2000|3|27|1942|5|12}}
| Instrument = [[singer|Vocals]], [[Drums]]
| Genre = [[Rock & Roll]], [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Punk rock]], [[New Wave]]?
| Occupation = Vocalist, Lyricist, Actor
| Years_active = 1971-2000
| Label = [[Pye Records|Pye]]-[[Dawn Records|Dawn]], [[Stiff Records|Stiff]], [[Polydor Records|Polydor]], Demon, Ronnie Harris
| Associated_acts = Kilburn and the High-Roads,<br/>The Blockheads
| URL = http://www.iandury.co.uk/
}}
'''Ian Dury''' ([[May 12]], [[1942]] – [[March 27]], [[2000]]) was an [[England|English]] [[rock and roll]] singer, songwriter, and bandleader who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the [[punk rock|punk]] and [[New Wave (music)|New Wave]] era of rock music. He is best known as founder and lead singer of the British band '''[[Ian Dury and the Blockheads]]''', though he began his musical career in [[Pub rock (UK)|pub-rock]] act Kilburn and the High Roads.
==Early life==
'''Ian Robin Dury''' was born at his parents' home at 43 Weald Rise, [[Harrow Weald]], [[Harrow, London|Harrow]] (although he often claimed that he was born in [[Upminster]], [[London Borough of Havering|Havering]]){{Fact|date=December 2007}}. He lived with the effects of [[polio]], which he contracted at the age of seven — very likely, he believed, from a swimming pool at [[Southend on Sea]] during the 1949 polio epidemic. His 1981 song "Spasticus Autisticus", intended to mark the [[International Year of Disabled Persons]], was banned by the [[BBC]] despite having been written by a disabled person. The lyrics were uncompromising:
:So place your hard-earned peanuts in my tin
:And thank the Creator you're not in the state I'm in
:So long have I been languished on the shelf
:I must give all proceedings to myself
The song's refrain, "I'm spasticus, autisticus" was inspired by the response of the rebellious Roman [[gladiator]]s in the film ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'', who, when instructed to identify their leader, all answered, "I am [[Spartacus]]," to protect him. Dury left the [[Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe]] at 16 to study at [[Walthamstow]] Art College. In 1964 he won a place at the [[Royal College of Art]] where he was taught by the eminent British artist [[Peter Blake (artist)|Peter Blake]] and, in 1967, Dury himself started teaching art at various colleges in the south of England. When asked why he did not pursue a career in art, he once said, "I got good enough [at art] to realise I wasn't going to be very good." Dury married his first wife Betty Rathmell in 1967 and they had two children, Jemima and [[Baxter Dury|Baxter]], who is now also a recording artist (he is the author of the ballad "Cocaine Man"). They divorced in 1985 but remained on good terms. She died of cancer in 1994.
==Kilburn and the High-Roads==
Dury was inspired to form Kilburn and the High-Roads (a pun on [[Kilburn High Road|the road in north London]]) in 1971 following the death of his hero [[Gene Vincent]]. Dury was vocalist and lyricist, co-writing with pianist Russell Hardy and later enrolling into the group a number of the students he was teaching at [[Canterbury School of Art]], including guitarist Keith Lucas (who later became the guitarist for [[999 (band)|999]] under the name [[Nick Cash]]) and bassist Humphrey Ocean. Managed by [[Charlie Gillett]] and Gordon Nelki, The Kilburns found favour on London's Pub Rock circuit and signed to Dawn Records in 1974, but despite favourable press coverage and a tour opening for [[The Who]], the group failed to rise above cult status. The group disbanded in 1975.
==The Blockheads==
Managed by Andrew King, Ian Dury and The Blockheads had several hit [[single (music)|single]]s, including "What a Waste", "[[Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick]]" (which was a UK number one at the beginning of 1979, selling just short of a million copies), "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part Three" (number three in the UK in 1979), and the rock and roll [[anthem]] "[[Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll]]", often credited with introducing the phrase to the language.<!-- if anyone has a citation that shows the phrase to have been in public discourse prior to the song, please give it.-->
Dury's lyrics are a unique combination of lyrical [[poetry]], [[word play]], observation of British everyday (working-class) life, acute character sketches, and vivid, earthy humour. One song refers to how "Home improvement expert Harold Hill of [[Harold Hill]]...Came home to find [[affair|another gentleman's kippers in the grill]], So he sanded off his [[penis|winkle]] with his [[Black & Decker]] Drill]]. The song ''[[Billericay Dickie]]'' continues this sexual content, rhyming "I had a love affair with Nina...In the back of my [[Ford Cortina|Cortina]]", and joking that "A [[Sexual arousal|seasoned-up]] [[hyena]]...Could not have been more obscener".
The Blockheads' sound drew from their many musical influences - which included [[jazz]], rock and roll, [[funk]], and [[reggae]] - plus Dury's love of [[music hall]]. The band was formed after Dury began writing songs with pianist and guitarist [[Chas Jankel|Chaz Jankel]]. Jankel took Dury's lyrics, fashioned a number of songs, and they began recording with members of [[Radio Caroline]]'s Loving Awareness Band, drummer [[Charley Charles]], bassist [[Norman Watt-Roy]], keyboard player [[Mickey Gallagher]], guitarist [[John Turnbull]], and the former Kilburns saxophonist [[Davey Payne]]. An album was completed, but major record labels passed on the band. However, next door to Dury's manager's office was the newly formed [[Stiff Records]], a perfect home for Dury's maverick style. The classic single "Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll" marked Dury's Stiff debut and this was swiftly followed by the album ''[[New Boots and Panties!!]]'', which was eventually to achieve platinum status.
[[Image:Blockheads logo.jpg|thumb|left|The Blockheads]]
In October 1977 Dury and his band started to go out as Ian Dury and the Blockheads, when the band signed up for the Stiff "Live Stiffs Tour" alongside [[Elvis Costello]] And The Attractions, [[Nick Lowe]], [[Wreckless Eric]], and [[Larry Wallis]]. The tour was a success, and Stiff launched a concerted Ian Dury marketing campaign, resulting in the Top Ten hit "What a Waste" and the classic UK number one "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick".
{{cquote|[[Einstein]] can't be classed as witless,<br/>
He claimed atoms were the littlest.<br/>
When you did a bit of splittleliness:<br/>
Frightened everybody shitless.|20px|20px|from ''There ain't half been some clever bastards''}}
{{cquote|I could be a [[lawyer]] with strategems and ruses<br/>
I could be a [[Physician|doctor]] with poultices and bruises<br/>
I could be a [[writer]] with a growing reputation<br/>
I could be the ticket man at [[Fulham Broadway tube station|Fulham Broadway station]]|20px|20px|from ''[[What a Waste]]''}}
The band's second album ''Do It Yourself'' was released in June 1979 in a [[Barney Bubbles]]-designed sleeve of which there were over a dozen variations, all based on samples from the [[Crown Wallpaper|Crown]] [[wallpaper]] catalogue. Another top ten single, "Reasons to be Cheerful", kept Dury in the public eye. In 1980 Jankel left The Blockheads to concentrate on a solo career and was replaced by former [[Dr Feelgood (band)|Dr Feelgood]] guitarist [[Wilko Johnson]], who also contributed to the next album ''Laughter'' and its two minor hit singles. In 1980-81 Dury and Jankel teamed up again with [[Sly and Robbie]] to record ''Lord Upminster''.
Ian Dury And The Blockheads disbanded in 1981 after Dury secured a new recording deal with [[Polydor Records]] through A&R man Frank Neilson, choosing to work with a group of young musicians which he named The Music Students and recorded the album ''Four Thousand Weeks' Holiday''. This album marked a departure from his usual style and was not as well received by fans for its American jazz influence. In 1998, following Dury's diagnosis with cancer, he reunited with the Blockheads to record the well-received album ''Mr Love-Pants'' and play a number of live dates. In the early 1990s, Dury appeared with English band [[Curve]] on the benefit compilation album ''[[Peace Together]]''. Dury and Curve singer [[Toni Halliday]] shared vocals on a cover of the Blockheads' track "[[What a Waste]]".
The Blockheads have continued after Dury's death, contributing to the tribute album, ''Brand New Boots And Panties'', then ''Where's The Party''. The Blockheads still tour, and are currently recording a new album. They currently comprise Jankel, Watt-Roy, Gallagher, Turnbull, [[Dylan Howe]] on drums, [[Gilad Atzmon]] and Dave Lewis on saxes. Derek The Draw (who was Dury's friend and minder) is now writing songs with Jankel as well as singing. They are aided and abetted by [[Lee Harris (guitarist)]], who is their 'aide de camp'. For more information visit [http://www.TheBlockheads.com their website].
==Acting and other activities==
Ian Dury's confident and unusual demeanor caught the eyes of producers and directors of drama. His first important and extensive role was in [[Farrukh Dhondy]]'s mini-series for the BBC, "King of the Ghetto" (1987), a drama set in London's multi-racial Brick Lane area with a cast led by a young [[Tim Roth]]. Dury had small parts in several films, probably the most well-known of which was [[Peter Greenaway]]'s ''[[The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover]]'', as well as [[cameo role|cameo appearances]] in [[Roman Polanski]]'s ''Pirates'' and the [[Sylvester Stallone]] science fiction film ''[[Judge Dredd]]''. He also wrote a [[Musical theater|musical]], ''Apples'', staged in London's [[Royal Court Theatre]]. He had a small supporting role in ''[[The Crow: City of Angels]]'', directed by [[Tim Pope]], who had directed a few of Dury's [[music video]]s. He also appeared alongside fellow songwriters [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Tom Waits]], respectively, in the movies ''Hearts of Fire'' (1987) and ''Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale'' (1989).
Dury wrote and performed the theme song "Profoundly in Love with Pandora" for the television series ''The Secret Diary of [[Adrian Mole]], Aged 13 3/4'' (1985), based on the book of the same name by [[Sue Townsend]], as well as its follow-up ''The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole'' (1987). Dury turned down an offer from [[Andrew Lloyd-Webber]] to write the libretto for ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'' (a gig which reportedly earned [[Richard Stilgoe]] millions). The reason, said Dury, "I can't stand his music."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,182378,00.html Ian Dury dies of cancer] Guardian (UK)</ref> "... I said no straight off. I hate Andrew Lloyd Webber. He's a wanker, isn't he?" "Every time I hear '[[Don't Cry for Me Argentina]]' I feel sick, it's so bad. He got Richard Stilgoe to do the lyrics in the end, who's not as good as me. He made millions out of it. He's crap, but he did ask the top man first!"<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980817/ai_n14172474/pg_2 Interview: Ian Dury: Great sense of tumour] The Independent (UK)</ref>
When [[AIDS]] first came to prominence in the mid-1980s, Dury was among celebrities who appeared on UK television to promote [[safe sex]], demonstrating how to put on a [[condom]] using a model of an erect penis. Dury cohabited with actress and singer [[Jane Horrocks]] for approximately two years in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he became an [[ambassador]] for [[UNICEF]], recruiting stars such as [[Robbie Williams]] to publicise the cause. The two visited [[Sri Lanka]] in this capacity to promote polio [[vaccination]]. Dury appeared with [[Curve (band)|Curve]] on the ''Peace Together'' concert and CD (1993), performing "What a Waste", with benefits to the Youth of Northern Ireland. He was also involved with the charity [[Cancer Bacup]]. Dury appeared in the ''[[Classic Albums]]'' episode that focused on [[Steely Dan]]'s album, ''[[Aja]]''. Dury commented that the album was one of the most "hopeful" he'd ever heard, and that the album "lifted [his] spirits up" whenever he played it. He also felt that it showed Steely Dan's love for jazz musicians and that it had "California in its blood...[even though it was recorded by] boys from New York."
==Illness==
It was known for some time before his death that Dury had [[cancer]]. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 1996 and underwent surgery, but tumors were later found in his liver, and he was told that his condition was terminal. In 1998, his death was [[List of premature obituaries|incorrectly announced]] on [[XFM]] radio by [[Bob Geldof]], possibly due to hoax information from a listener. Upon hearing of his illness Dury took the opportunity to marry his girlfriend, [[sculptor]] [[Sophy Tilson]], with whom he had two children, Billy and Albert. In 1999, Dury collaborated with [[Madness (band)|Madness]] on their first original album in 14 years on the track "Drip Fed Fred". [[Suggs (singer)|Suggs]] and the band cite him as a great influence. It was to be one of his last recordings.
Ian Dury & The Blockheads' last performance was a [[benefit concert|charity]] concert in aid of Cancer Bacup on [[February 6]], [[2000]] at The [[London Palladium]], supported by [[Kirsty MacColl]] and [[Phill Jupitus]]. Dury was noticeably ill and had to be helped on and off stage. Dury died of metastatic [[Hepatocellular carcinoma|liver cancer]] on [[March 27]], 2000. One of his obituaries read: "one of few true originals of the English music scene" (''[[The Guardian]]''). Meanwhile, he was described by [[Graham McPherson|Suggs]], the singer with [[Madness (band)|Madness]], as "possibly the finest lyricist we've seen." The Ian Dury website opened an online [[Condolence book|book of condolence]] shortly after his death, which was signed by hundreds of fans. The 250 mourners at his funeral included fellow musicians Suggs and [[Jools Holland]] as well as "celebrity fans" such as [[Mo Mowlam]].
Dury's son, [[Baxter Dury]], is also a singer. He sang a few of his father's songs at the wake after the funeral, and has released his own albums - ''Len Parrot's Memorial Lift'' and ''Floor Show''. In 2002, a musical bench was placed in Poet's Corner, near Pembroke Lodge, within [[Richmond Park]], South-West [[London]], being a favoured viewing spot of Dury's. This [[solar power]]ed seat was intended to allow visitors to plug in and listen to eight of his songs as well as an interview, but has been subjected to repeated [[vandalism]].
==Discography==
===Singles===
* "Rough Kids" / "Billy Bentley" – 1974
* "Crippled With Nerves" / "Huffety Puff" – 1975
* "[[Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll]]" / "Razzle In My Pocket" – 1977
* "[[Sweet Gene Vincent]]" / "You're More Than Fair" – 1977
* "Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll" / "Two Stiff Steep Hills" / "England's Glory" – 1977 (NME Give-a-way)
* "[[What a waste|What A Waste]]" / "Wake Up And Make Love With Me" – 1978 (UK #9)
* "[[Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick]]" / "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards" – 1978 (UK #1)
* "Billy Bentley" / "Pam's Moods" – 1978
* "[[Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3]]" / "Common As Muck" – 1979 (UK #3)
* "I Want To Be Straight" / "That's Not All" – 1980 (UK #22)
* "[[Sueperman's Big Sister]]" / "You'll See Glimpses" – 1980 (UK #51) <!-- For future reference, Sueperman is the correct spelling in this instance. -->
* "[[Spasticus (Autisticus)]]" / "(Instrumental)" – 1981
* "Really Glad You Came" / "(You're My) Inspiration)" – 1983
* "Very Personal" / "Ban The Bomb" (1984)
* "[[Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick|Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (re-mix)]]" / "Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll" / "Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3" / "Wake Up And Make Love With Me" – 1985 (UK #55)
* "Profoundly In Love With Pandora" / "Eugenius (You're A Genius)" – 1985 (UK #45)
* "Apples" / "Byline Brown" – 1989
* "[[Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll]]" / "[[Close to Home (Song)|Close to Home]]" – 2007
===Albums===
* ''[[Handsome]]'' - Kilburn and the High Roads (1975)
* ''[[Wotabunch!]]'' - Ian Dury & The Kilburns (1977)
* ''[[New Boots and Panties!!]]'' - Ian Dury (1977)
* ''[[Do It Yourself (Ian Dury)|Do It Yourself]]'' - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1979)
* ''[[Laughter (album)|Laughter]]'' - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1980)
* ''[[Lord Upminster]]'' - Ian Dury (1981)
* ''The Best Of Kilburn & The Highroads'' - Kilburn and the High Roads (EP, 1983)
* ''[[4,000 Weeks' Holiday]]'' - Ian Dury & The Music Students (1984)
* ''Hold On To Your Structure'' - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (VHS- Live Video, 1985)
* ''[[Apples (album)|Apples]]'' - Ian Dury (1989)
* ''Live! Warts 'n' Audience'' - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (live album, 1990)
* ''[[The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories]]'' - Ian Dury (1992)
* ''[[Mr. Love Pants]]'' - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1997)
* ''[[Straight From The Desk]]'' - Ian Dury and The Blockheads (live at Ilford Odeon, 2001)
* ''[[Ten More Turnips From The Tip]]'' - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (posthumous, 2002)
===Blockheads albums (without Dury) and DVDs===
* ''Brand New Boots And Panties'' (2001) - Various Artists. A tribute album, a re-recording of ''New Boots'' with guest singers
* ''Straight From The Desk - 2'' (Live At Patti Pavilion, 2003)
* ''Where's The Party?'' (2004)
* ''Live In Colchester DVD'' (soundtrack is exclusively available via iTunes) (2006)
==Audio sample==
{{Listen|filename=Ian Dury And The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick excerpt.ogg|title=Ian Dury And The Blockheads - "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" (excerpt)|description=An excerpt from "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"}}
==See also==
* [[Barney Bubbles]]
* [[Stiff Records]]
* [[Bus Driver's Prayer]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
*''[[Guinness Book of British Hit Singles]]'' 7th Edition
*''[http://www.theblockheads.com/discog.php The Blockheads' Discography]''
==External links==
*[http://www.iandury.co.uk/ Ian Dury's Website]
*[http://www.theblockheads.com/biog.php The Blockheads' Biography]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,182378,00.html Guardian obituary for Ian Dury]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20030628113636/%77ww.bbc.co.uk/later/artists/s12/1/biog_iandury.shtml Jools Holland biography of Ian Dury (archived 2003)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/702720.stm BBC News website report on Dury's funeral]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/music/muze/index.pl?site=music&action=biography&artist_id=9107 BBC Music artist biography]
* [http://www.rockabilly.net/articles/iandury4.shtml The Times Obituary]
*[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980817/ai_n14172474 Ian Dury: Great sense of tumour] late interview from The Independent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dury, Ian}}
[[Category:English songwriters]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Art]]
[[Category:Old Wycombiensians]]
[[Category:People from Upminster]]
[[Category:Colorectal cancer deaths]]
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Pub Rock bands]]
[[Category:Multi-racial musical groups]]
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