Ian Astbury
| Ian Astbury | |
|---|---|
Ian Astbury press photo, October 2010, by Delissa Santos
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ian Robert Astbury |
| Born |
14 May 1962 Heswall, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres |
Post-punk, gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, percussion, harmonica, guitar |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Beggars Banquet |
| Associated acts | The Cult, Southern Death Cult, Death Cult, The Doors of the 21st Century, Holy Barbarians, Circus of Power, The Wondergirls, Slash, Boris, UNKLE |
Ian Robert Astbury (born 14 May 1962) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member and the lead vocalist for the rock band The Cult.
In 1979, while living in Glasgow, Astbury was influenced by The Doors' song "The End", which he heard while watching the movie Apocalypse Now, later describing this as "a religious experience". In 1980 he was in Liverpool, where he was active on the punk scene based around Eric's Club. He moved to Bradford in late 1980, where he was a founding member of the positive punk band Southern Death Cult in 1981. Southern Death Cult lasted until March 1983. Along with guitarist Billy Duffy, bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Raymond Taylor Smith, Astbury formed a new band, Death Cult and released The Death Cult EP. To gain broader appeal, the band changed its name to "the Cult" in January 1984 before appearing on the (UK) Channel 4 television show, The Tube.
The Cult have been a postmodern rock band active since 1983. Their first album, Dreamtime was released in 1984, and followed by Love in 1985. Love featured the single "She Sells Sanctuary", which introduced the band to an international audience. Many songs of these early albums focus on Native American themes, a pre-occupation of Astbury. On their third album, Electric, The Cult made a transformation to hard rock sound with the help of Rick Rubin.
After the release of the 1989 album Sonic Temple, and the single "Fire Woman", Astbury relocated to Los Angeles, California.
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