Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was best known as the lead singer, lyricist and occasional guitarist of the post-punk band Joy Division, with whom he released the albums Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980). He was noted for his unique dancing style influenced by his experiences with epilepsy, as well as his dark baritone voice. Retrospectively viewed as "one of the finest songwriters of his generation," his intensely introspective and dark lyricism has provoked "visceral and raw emotions" among fans.[2] He was also noted for his distinct on-stage behaviour.
For other uses, see Ian Curtis (disambiguation).
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis
15 July 1956
Stretford, Lancashire, England
18 May 1980 (aged 23)
Macclesfield, Cheshire, England
- Singer
- songwriter
- musician
- Vocals
- guitar
- melodica
1976–1980
Curtis had epilepsy and depression and died by suicide on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour, shortly before the release of Closer. Shortly after his death, the three surviving members of the band renamed themselves New Order. Despite their short career, Joy Division have exerted a wide-reaching influence. John Bush of AllMusic argues that they "became the first band in the post-punk movement emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s".[1] According to critic Simon Reynolds, Joy Division's influence has extended from contemporaries such as U2 and the Cure to later acts including Interpol, Bloc Party, Fontaines D.C., and Editors, as well as rappers including Danny Brown and Vince Staples.[3][4]
Early life[edit]
Ian Kevin Curtis was born at the Memorial Hospital in Stretford on 15 July 1956, and grew up in a working-class household in Macclesfield.[5] He was the first of two children born to Doreen and Kevin Curtis.[6] From an early age, he was a bookish and intelligent child, displaying a particular flair for poetry. By passing his 11-Plus exam, sat by all primary school children, he gained a place at the age of 11 at Macclesfield's boys’ grammar school The King's School. It was here that he developed his interests in philosophy, literature, and eminent poets such as Thom Gunn.[7] While at King's School, he was awarded several scholastic awards in recognition of his abilities, particularly at the ages of 15 and 16. The year after Curtis graduated from King's School, the family purchased a house from a relative and moved to New Moston.[8]
As a teenager, Curtis chose to perform social service by visiting the elderly as part of a school programme. While visiting, he and his friends would steal any prescription drugs that they found and later take them together as a group. On one occasion when he was 16,[9] after consuming a large dosage of Largactil he and his friends had stolen, Curtis was discovered unconscious[10] in his bedroom by his father and was taken to hospital to have his stomach pumped.[11]
Curtis had held a keen interest in music since his early teenage years and was influenced by artists such as Jim Morrison and David Bowie.[12] Among Curtis's earliest experiences with music was in a church choir as a young child, in his hometown.[13][14] Curtis could seldom afford to purchase records, leading him to frequently steal them from local shops.[n 1] By his mid-teens, Curtis had also developed a reputation among his peers as a strong-willed individual, with a keen interest in fashion.[16]
Despite gaining nine O-levels at King's School[17][18] and briefly studying A-Levels in History and Divinity at St John's College, Curtis soon became disenchanted with academia and abandoned his studies at St John's College to find a job.[19] Nonetheless, Curtis continued to focus on the pursuit of art, literature and music, and would gradually draw lyrical and conceptual inspiration from ever more insidious subjects.[20]
Curtis obtained a job at a record shop in Manchester City Centre,[21] before obtaining more stable employment within the civil service. His employment as a civil servant saw Curtis initially deployed to Cheadle Hulme, where he worked for several months with the Ministry of Defence,[22] before he was offered alternative employment within the Manpower Services Commission in a building at Piccadilly Gardens. He later worked as a civil servant in Woodford, Greater Manchester although, at his request, approximately one year later[23] Curtis was posted to Macclesfield's Employment Exchange, where he worked as an Assistant Disablement Resettlement Officer.
On 23 August 1975, Curtis married Deborah Woodruff, to whom he was introduced by a friend, Tony Nuttall.[24] Ian and Deborah initially became friends and then began dating in December 1972, when both were 16 years old.[25][n 2] Their wedding service was conducted at St Thomas' Church in Henbury, Cheshire. Curtis was 19 and Woodruff 18. They had one child, a daughter named Natalie, born on 16 April 1979.[26] Initially, the couple lived with Ian's grandparents, although shortly after their marriage the couple moved to a working-class neighbourhood in Chadderton,[27] where they paid a mortgage while working in jobs neither enjoyed. Before long, the couple became disillusioned with life in Oldham and remortgaged their house[28] before briefly returning to live with Ian's grandparents. Shortly thereafter, in May 1977, the couple moved into their own house in Barton Street, Macclesfield,[9] with one of the rooms of the property becoming colloquially known between the couple as Curtis's "song-writing room".[29]
Personal life[edit]
Relationships[edit]
Curtis's widow, Deborah, has claimed that in October 1979, Curtis began conducting an affair with the Belgian Annik Honoré who had been working at the Belgian embassy in London before becoming a journalist and music promoter.[41] They had first met at a gig held in Brussels that month.[42][43] Curtis was consumed with guilt over this affair due to being married[44] and the father of their baby daughter, but at the same time still yearning to be with Honoré.[45] On one occasion in 1980, Curtis asked Bernard Sumner to make a decision on his behalf as to whether he should remain with his wife or form a deeper relationship with Honoré; Sumner refused.[46] Honoré claimed in a 2010 interview that although she and Curtis had spent extensive periods together, their relationship had been platonic. Deborah Curtis has maintained that it was a sexual and romantic affair.[47] His bandmates recollected later that Curtis's friendship with Honoré led him to distance himself and become somewhat "lofty" with them.[43] This distance prompted occasional pranks at Curtis's and Honoré's expense. He became a vegetarian, likely at Honoré's behest since he was known to have consumed meat when not in her presence.[43]
Epilepsy[edit]
Curtis began having epileptic seizures in late 1978; he was officially diagnosed with the condition on 23 January the following year,[48][n 4] with his particular case being described by doctors as so severe, his "life would [be] ruled to obsolescence by his severe epilepsy"[50] without the various strong dosages of medications he was prescribed. Having joined the British Epilepsy Association, Curtis was initially open to discuss his condition with anyone who inquired, although he soon became withdrawn and reluctant to discuss any issue regarding his condition beyond the most mundane and necessary aspects.[51] On each occasion it became apparent a particular prescribed medication failed to control Curtis's seizures, his doctor would prescribe a different anticonvulsant and his wife noted his being "full of renewed enthusiasm" that this particular formulation would help him bring his seizures under control.[52]
Throughout 1979 and 1980, Curtis's condition gradually worsened amid the pressure of performances and touring,[9] with his seizures becoming more frequent and more intense.[53] Following his diagnosis, Curtis continued to drink, smoke and maintain an irregular sleeping pattern—against the advice given to those with the condition.[50] The medications Curtis was prescribed for his condition produced numerous side effects, including extreme mood swings.[9][54] This change in personality was also observed by Curtis's wife, family and in-laws, who noted how taciturn he had become in his wife's company.[55] Following the birth of his daughter in April 1979, because of the severity of his medical condition, Curtis was seldom able to hold his baby daughter in case he compromised her safety.[55]