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Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved success during the glam rock era of the 1970s and 1980s, and his career ended after he was imprisoned for downloading
child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
in 1999. He was also convicted of child sexual abuse in 2006 and attempted rape in 2015. After performing under the name Paul Raven in the 1960s, Gadd changed his stage name to Gary Glitter in the early 1970s and had a sustained solo UK chart run of hits including " Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)", "
Do You Wanna Touch Me "Do You Wanna Touch Me", also referred to as "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Leander. It was released as the lead single from his second ...
", "
I Love You Love Me Love "I Love You Love Me Love" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter. Written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Leander (unusually in monophonic sound), "I Love You Love Me Love" was Glitter's second number-one single on the U ...
", "
I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am) "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Mike Leander. It was Glitter's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks at ...
", and " Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again". He became known for his energetic live performances and extremely glam rock image of glitter suits, make-up, and platform boots. He sold over 20 million records and had 26 hit singles which spent a total of 180 weeks in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, with 12 reaching the top 10 and three of those charting at number one. He is listed in the top 100 most successful UK chart acts. His popularity waned in the late 1970s, followed by a successful comeback as a solo artist from the 1980s; his 1984 song " Another Rock and Roll Christmas" is one of the most played Christmas songs of all time. In 1998, his recording of "Rock and Roll" was listed as one of the top 1,001 songs in music history. He also released seven studio albums and at least 15 albums of compilations and live performances.
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described Glitter's fall from grace as "dramatic" and "spectacular". His image became irreparably tarnished following his 1997 arrest and 1999 conviction and imprisonment for downloading thousands of child pornography images and videos. At the same time, he was also charged with sexual activity with an underage girl in the 1970s, but was acquitted. He later faced criminal charges and deportation from several countries in connection with both actual and suspected child sexual abuse. He was deported from
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on suspected child sexual abuse charges in 2002 and settled in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
, where a court found him guilty of obscene acts with minors in 2006. After serving his sentence, he was deported to the UK and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. In 2012, he was arrested again as part of
Operation Yewtree Operation Yewtree was a British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against the English media personality Jimmy Savile and others. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police Service ( ...
. He was released on bail, and was charged in 2014 with historical child sex offences. In 2015, he was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, and four counts of indecent assault, receiving a total of 16 years in prison. He was described by music journalist
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
as a "public hate figure", and his performances on the
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music show ''
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'' are never included in repeats.


Early life

Paul Francis Gadd was born in Banbury on 8 May 1944.Thompson, Dave
Gary Glitter Biography
,
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, TiVo Corporation
He never knew his father, while his mother worked as a cleaner and was unmarried; she initially brought him up with the help of her mother. He was hard to control and was taken into local authority care at the age of 10, along with his brother. Although nominally a
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
, he was educated at a Catholic school.Gary Glitter ''Leader: The Autobiography of Gary Glitter'' ( Ebury Press, 1991). . He frequently ran away to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, visiting the nightclubs where he would later launch his career.


Career


Early work as Paul Raven

By the time he was 16, Gadd was already performing at London clubs. His career grew as he appeared at such venues as the Two I's, in
Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was deve ...
, and the Laconda and Safari Clubs. His repertoire consisted of early rock and roll standards and gentle
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s. Gadd gained his first break when film producer Robert Hartford-Davis discovered him and financed a recording session for Decca Records. In January 1960, at 15, under the stage name Paul Raven, he released his first single, "Alone in the Night". A year later, with a new manager, Vic Billings, he signed a new recording contract with Parlophone and worked with record producer
George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
, before Martin's association with
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
. Martin produced two singles, "Walk on Boy" and " Tower of Strength", but neither sold very well, and Gadd's recording career as Paul Raven stalled. By 1964, he was reduced to working as an assistant, and playing the warm-up for the British music television programme '' Ready Steady Go!''. He did numerous television commercials and film auditions, and in the course of those activities met arranger and record producer Mike Leander, who eventually helped revive his career. He auditioned for the role of the protagonist in the film '' Privilege'' (1967), which was written and directed by Peter Watkins, known for the television drama '' The War Game''. Still using the name Paul Raven, Gadd joined the Mike Leander Show Band in early 1965. He was then deputised to produce a few recording sessions by such artists as Thane Russell and a Scottish
freakbeat Freakbeat is a loosely defined subgenre of rock and roll music developed mainly by harder-driving British groups during the Swinging London period of the mid-to late 1960s. The genre bridges British Invasion R&B, beat and psychedelia. Etymol ...
band, the Poets. After Leander's group disbanded, he formed Boston International with saxophonist John Rossall, and spent the following five years touring the UK and
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
, recording occasionally. From 1968 to 1970, several singles including "Musical Man", "Goodbye Seattle" and a cover version of the Beatles' " Here Comes the Sun" were released, his name briefly changed to Paul Monday. He sang the role of a priest in the original 1970 concept album of '' Jesus Christ Superstar''.


Gary Glitter

As the glam movement took off in 1971, Gadd adopted the new stage name Gary Glitter, which he devised by playing alliteratively with letters of the alphabet, working backwards from Z. Other options included Terry Tinsel, Stanley Sparkle and Vicky Vomit. The song that made Gary Glitter's name began as a 15-minute jam session; whittled down to a pair of three-minute extracts it was released in 1972 as the A-side and B-sides of a single called " Rock and Roll, Parts 1 and 2". Part 2 proved to be the more popular side in many countries, although it took about six months before it made its full impact, going to No. 2 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and reaching the Top Ten in the United States, one of the few British glam rock records to do so. "Rock and Roll Part 1" was also a hit: in France it made number-one, and in the UK both sides were listed together on the charts.


Mainstream success

"Rock and Roll" was followed by other successes over the next three years. Glitter, backed by the Glittermen/
the Glitter Band The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first f ...
on stage, competed with Sweet, Slade and T. Rex for domination of the charts. To reinforce his image, he reportedly owned 30 glitter suits and fifty pairs of silver platform boots. He also released several singles which became UK Top 10 hits, with "
I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am) "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Mike Leander. It was Glitter's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks at ...
" being his first single to reach the number-one position in the summer of 1973, and "
I Love You Love Me Love "I Love You Love Me Love" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter. Written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Leander (unusually in monophonic sound), "I Love You Love Me Love" was Glitter's second number-one single on the U ...
", its follow-up, his second. Even an atypical ballad, " Remember Me This Way", went to No. 3. He had eleven consecutive Top 10 singles, from "Rock and Roll, Parts 1 and 2" in 1972 to " Doing Alright with the Boys" in the summer of 1975. "Rock and Roll (Part 2)" caught on as a popular
sports anthem Stadium anthems or sports anthems or arena anthems are terms to refer songs that are played over the public address systems at stadiums and arenas during breaks in the action to rally the fans. Unlike college fight songs, most stadium anthems were ...
in North America. Despite his success in the UK, Glitter never made the same impact in America where, at best, glam rock was seen as a curiosity. Glitter had one more entry on the US charts with " I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)"; after that, the closest chart success for Glitter was a cover recording of "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" by
Brownsville Station Brownsville station is a Metrorail station in Brownsville, Florida. It is located at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue ( SR 9) and 52nd Street, opening to service May 19, 1985. Station layout Places of interest *Brownsville *Joseph Ca ...
. After "Doing Alright with the Boys", Glitter won the award for Best Male Artist at the ''Saturday Scene'' music awards hosted by LWT. His next release was a cover of the Rivingtons' novelty
nonsensical Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous. Many poets, novelists and songwriters h ...
doo-wop song " Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow", but it got no higher than No. 38 on the British charts. After subsequent releases stalled in similar fashion, Glitter announced his retirement from the music industry to start a family life with his new partner in early 1976. That same year, his first hits package, simply titled ''Greatest Hits'', was released. It entered the UK Top 40 best-seller charts. A similar budget album, entitled ''I Love You Love Me Love'', was issued by Hallmark Entertainment the following year.


Comeback and business interests

In 1976, Glitter faced declining record sales. He took a two-year-long exile, living in France and Australia, before returning to the UK, and beginning his comeback. Glitter's career took a downturn towards the end of the 1970s, leading him to declare bankruptcy in 1977, though he later blamed the high tax rate in the UK at the time. He entered bankruptcy a second time over unpaid tax in the 1990s. Under financial pressure, not even a pair of Top 40 hit singles (" It Takes All Night Long" and " A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind") could lift him all the way back. It took the
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
audience, and some of its artists who still respected Glitter's work, to do that; he had been an influence on post-punk, new wave, Britpop and glam metal, as well as early punk rock itself. Around this time, Glitter settled into being a performer with a niche following that continued until his conviction for downloading
child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
in 1999. This helped provide the opportunity for Glitter to cut a dance medley of his greatest hits, "All That Glitters", which charted in 1981. Within three years, he was playing 80 shows a year at colleges and
nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gen ...
s and had chart hits " Dance Me Up" (UK No. 25) and " Another Rock and Roll Christmas" (UK No. 7). Glitter's comeback was boosted in the 1980s by various guest spots and collaborations. In 1982, he appeared on the British Electric Foundation album ''Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One'' (UK No. 25) along with fellow pop/rock luminaries Sandie Shaw and
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
. In 1988, the Timelords' "Doctoring the Tardis", a '' Doctor Who'' tribute that sampled "Rock and Roll (Part 2)", reached the number-one spot. In due course, Glitter re-cut "Rock and Roll" with producer Trevor Horn and also "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" with
Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ye ...
. In the late 1980s, his hit singles were used to compile the Telstar-released ''C'mon... C'mon – The Gary Glitter Party Album''. In 1989, Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers put a large sample of "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" on their number-one UK hit " Let's Party". In 1987 Glitter received a ten-year driving ban and narrowly escaped imprisonment after a third conviction for drunk driving. During the 1980s Glitter became a
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and a vegetarian. He opened a restaurant in Leicester Square in 1991, with Gary's Glitter Bar being promoted under the slogan "Leader of the Snack", but the restaurant closed a few years later. Glitter also launched his own record label in the early 1990s, Attitude Records, after he lost his deal with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a world ...
. He had signed to Virgin after leaving Arista Records in 1984 after twelve years with the label. Attitude records was merged into Machmain Ltd later in the 1990s, a music company owned by Glitter. Glitter spent the next decade mostly as an in-demand live performer, and his back catalogue of recordings proved durable enough for several compilations to be successfully released. He appeared in billboard and poster advertisements for
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four (British ra ...
, in one of which he was shown attempting to look younger to obtain a Young Persons Railcard. He also released a new studio album '' Leader II'' in 1991. ''The Leader'', his best-selling autobiography, was published in 1991. He was the subject of an episode of ''
This is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...
'' in 1992. During the episode, Glitter's friend
Tessa Dahl Chantal Sophia "Tessa" Dahl (born 11 April 1957) is an English author and former actress. She is the daughter of British author Roald Dahl and American actress Patricia Neal. Early life Dahl was born in Oxford, the second daughter of British au ...
said: "Gary actually came to live in my house when he was between jobs ... My sister Lucy turned it into quite a successful venture because she used to pack the train full of her adolescent school friends in school uniforms and then skive school. And she'd bring them up to the house and charge them five pounds a head to come and gaze at Glitter." Glitter can be seen putting his fingers to his lips and telling Dahl to " shush" as Dahl begins to talk about the adolescent girls. He was a surprise hit at the
1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States ...
concert in Chicago, which was telecast live to forty-six countries. He played the Godfather in the 1996
revival tour The Revival Tour was the second solo concert tour by American singer Selena Gomez, in support of her second solo studio album '' Revival'' (2015). The tour began in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 6, 2016, and concluded ...
of
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
's '' Quadrophenia''. He also released a new single, a cover version of " The House of the Rising Sun". The English rock band Oasis used a sample from Glitter's 1973 chart hit " Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again" on their 1995 multi-million-selling album '' (What's the Story) Morning Glory?'', one of a number of acts that borrowed from his songbook.


Career moves since 2000

In 2002, Snapper Music re-promoted ''
The Ultimate Gary Glitter – 25 Years of Hits ''The Ultimate Gary Glitter – 25 Years of Hits'' is a greatest hits album by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter. It was originally released in the United Kingdom on 24 November 1997 on the label Snapper Music, less than a week after his arre ...
'', a two-disc compilation album of Glitter's music initially released in 1997, days after his arrest, which covers his commercial breakthrough in 1972 through to 1984 while also including a song that was later released on ''On'', and singles by his former backing band
the Glitter Band The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first f ...
without him; again it was moderately successful. In September 2001 he released a new studio album, '' On'', which included material written before his 1999 British conviction. That material was to have been part of a project called ''Lost on Life Street'' until that album's release was cancelled following his arrest. By December 2004, after releasing a new single, "Control", Glitter was in the news again concerning his behaviour; NGOs had been petitioning the government with their own evidence aimed at arresting Glitter. He moved to Vietnam. In 2005 '' Remember Me This Way'', the documentary filmed at Glitter's career peak in 1973 (and originally released in 1974), was issued for the first time on DVD. Glitter's music itself still had an audience, further demonstrated by three new album releases, although all of them contained past recordings from the vaults, rather than new product. The first two new albums were issued at the same time, ''The Remixes'' and ''Live in Concert'' (the latter of which was a 1981 recording). These were only for sale on the Internet. A new collection of Glitter's chart hit singles followed, ''The Best of Gary Glitter''. In 2006 his back catalogue was made available via the Internet from sites such as
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and
eMusic eMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. In exchange for a monthly subscription eMusic users can download a fixed number of MP3 tracks per month. eMusic was established in 1998, is headquartered in New York Cit ...
. In 2011 a collection of hits and B-sides was issued under the title ''All that Glitters''. News reports stated that, as of late July 2013, Glitter may have earned a total of £1,000,000 from royalties derived from the Oasis song "Hello" that sampled "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again". Music industry lawyer Craig Brookes cited this monetary sum in addition to the royalties from his back catalogue of songs—£300,000 a year or more—and the estimated £200,000 Glitter was awarded for
copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, ...
after he enacted legal action against Oasis in 1999. In 2014, '' Billboard'' reported that "Rock and Roll Part 2", co-written by Glitter with Mike Leander, was earning an estimated $250,000 a year in royalties due to its use in the NHL. In October 2019 there was controversy over the use of "Rock and Roll Part 2" in the commercially successful film '' Joker'' due to the possibility of Glitter, as co-writer and performer of the song, receiving a lump sum and royalties for its use. According to the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'', Glitter does not receive payment when the song is used as he has sold the rights, and the US rights to the song are now owned by Universal Music Publishing Group. The song charted in the US in October 2019.


Concert tours and live performances

During his long career as a singer, Glitter undertook many tours to various venues around the world. His first tour was of the Middle East, as Paul Raven and the Boston International in 1967. He toured amongst other places, Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Armenia. In 1973, Glitter appeared at the London Palladium. It was a sell-out concert. In the same year his performance at the Rainbow Theatre was recorded and released as a live album, '' Remember Me This Way''. Glitter undertook a world tour, performing in Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. He continued to tour until 1976, and his temporary retirement from music. During his comeback period of the 1980s, he did fewer tours, and mainly toured Britain. He did shows in Ireland, Germany, France, America and Bahrain. During the 1990s, he toured America several times, finally gaining the significant popularity he sought in the 1970s. His final tour, entitled "A Night Out with the Boys: Could This Be for the Last Time?" took place in 1997. In 2005, Glitter had been living in Vietnam without the knowledge of the authorities. His presence there only came to their attention after he had offered to sing in local bars in
Vũng Tàu Vũng Tàu (''Hanoi accent:'' , ''Saigon accent:'' ) is the largest city of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province in southern Vietnam. The city area is , consists of 13 urban wards and one commune of Long Sơn Islet. Vũng Tàu was the capital of the p ...
.


Influence on other musicians

Glitter was an influence on a number of musicians and genres from the 1970s onwards, especially
British punk There are a number of punk bands originating in the United Kingdom. See also * List of punk rock bands, 0–K * List of punk rock bands, L–Z * List of post-punk bands * List of new wave a ...
,
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
, new wave,
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie ...
, Britpop and glam metal. * Mark E. Smith was a Glitter fan. "I was really into Gary Glitter, and I used to get bad-mouthed for it. It was like 'You've got to be into
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
or
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talent ...
 – Gary Glitter's just tripe'. And I was going 'It's fuckin' great. It's
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretica ...
... Well, two drummers and all that – it was really percussive. It was the only decent thing around", the Fall frontman said in 1993, speaking to '' NME''. * Knox from the Vibrators cited glam rock acts, including Glitter, as an influence on punk, stating that "Glam was fairly good at the time; also it was almost all we had. It could look ridiculous but musically it was often alright. Sometimes when you listen back bits of it sound quite punk. I liked Gary Glitter, Hello, Slade; they were all laying the roots to punk. Some of Bowie and Lou Reed were very good and arcBolan of course. I suppose it had a bit of influence, but not a lot." * CeeLo Green has been influenced by Glitter's music, telling ''NME'' in 2014, "I'm very aware of the crimes (Glitter) committed so I would not like to have this misconstrued. But I appreciate the musical contribution and (what he did) sonically." * Freddie Mercury recorded a single using the pseudonym Larry Lurex, a name apparently influenced by the name "Gary Glitter". *
John Eddie John Eddie (born 1959, Richmond, Virginia) is an American rock singer. Eddie moved to New Jersey in the 1970s and became a popular club circuit musician there, occasionally performing with Bruce Springsteen. Music career John's first studio pre ...
was inspired by Glitter and described his first single " Jungle Boy" as "Gary Glitter meets
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
". * Joan Jett was inspired by Glitter's early 1970s output, and has covered his song "
Do You Wanna Touch Me "Do You Wanna Touch Me", also referred to as "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Leander. It was released as the lead single from his second ...
". Jett also covered Glitter's 1975 hit " Doing Alright with the Boys". *
Gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie ...
band The Sisters of Mercy have cited Glitter as an influence.


Personal life

Gadd married Ann Murton in July 1963. They had a son also named Paul (born 1964) and a daughter named Sarah (born 1966) before divorcing in 1972. In February 2001, he had another son named Gary Jr. with his Cuban girlfriend Yudenia Sosa Martínez, with whom he was living in Cuba. He had homes in London and Wedmore at the time of his arrest in 1997. Glitter was banned from driving for 10 years in 1986 following a conviction for drunk driving. This was his third drunk driving conviction, and he narrowly avoided being sent to prison. On 20 January 2008, the ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national red top tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling English-language newspaper, and at closure still had one ...
'' reported that Glitter had suffered a severe heart attack. These reports were denied, although it was confirmed that he had been diagnosed with heart problems. Nguyen Huu Quang (the director of the hospital in Bình Thuận near the prison where Glitter was serving his sentence) said, "Glitter was admitted to our hospital with acute diarrhoea. While we were treating him, we found out that he also has a cardiovascular disorder."


Sex offences

In November 1997, Glitter was arrested after a technician discovered
child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
images on the hard drive of a laptop that he had taken to a computer retailer in
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...
to be repaired. Further images were discovered by police during searches of his homes in London and Wedmore. He was castigated in the media over the allegations; additionally, his appearance in the Spice Girls' musical comedy film '' Spice World'' was cut, though a truncated edit of the scene, featuring a version of Glitter's "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", was left in the film. At Bristol Crown Court on 12 November 1999, Mr Justice Butterfield sentenced Glitter to four months in prison and placed him on the sex offender register in the UK after he admitted downloading more than 4,000 items of
child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
. He was cleared of a charge of having sex with a 14-year-old girl with whom he had a relationship in the late 1970s. It was later revealed that the woman sold her story to the ''
News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national red top tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling English-language newspaper, and at closure still had one ...
'' and stood to earn more money from the newspaper should Glitter be convicted. Following his release in January 2000, Glitter decided to leave the UK where had become a "public hate figure"; and fled on his yacht to Spain. He lived at
Sotogrande Sotogrande is the largest privately owned residential development in Andalusia, Spain. Originally a gated community, it is located in the municipality of San Roque and is composed of a 25-square-kilometre stretch from the Mediterranean Sea 25& ...
in
Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...
for six months on his yacht, which was moored at the marina. He told the locals that his name was Larry Brilliante and spent his time frequenting local bars and surfing the Internet. After his real identity became known in Sotogrande, he moved to
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
and later to
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
, where he rented an apartment in
Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
. In late 2002, he was detained over his previous sex offences and spent four days in jail before being released on bail. In January 2003, he was deported from Cambodia to
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
on a flight to
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
. He subsequently settled in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
. From March 2005, Glitter resided in
Vũng Tàu Vũng Tàu (''Hanoi accent:'' , ''Saigon accent:'' ) is the largest city of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province in southern Vietnam. The city area is , consists of 13 urban wards and one commune of Long Sơn Islet. Vũng Tàu was the capital of the p ...
, Vietnam, where he rented a luxury seaside villa and applied for permanent Vietnamese residency. He came to the attention of Vietnamese authorities after being banned from a nightclub for allegedly groping a teenage waitress; eyewitnesses also reported seeing him take two young girls into his home. On 12 November 2005, he fled his home. A 15-year-old girl was found living in his flat and was questioned by authorities. Police began searching for Glitter, and he was arrested on 20 November at
Tan Son Nhat International Airport Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất or Cảng hàng không quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất) is the busiest airport in Vietnam with 32.5 million passengers in 2016 and 38.5 million passengers in 201 ...
in
Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...
while trying to board a flight to Bangkok. Six Vietnamese girls and women, aged from 11 to 23, claimed that Glitter had had sex with them. After his arrest, Glitter was turned over to provincial police from Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu, returned to Vũng Tàu, and held on suspicion of having sex with the two underage girls. Glitter was held in jail throughout the criminal investigation, which was completed on 26 December 2005. The charge of rape was dropped for "lack of evidence" (according to Glitter's lawyer), although Glitter admitted that an 11-year-old girl had slept in his bed. Glitter could have faced execution by firing squad if found guilty of child rape. After having received compensatory payments from Glitter, the families of the girls appealed for clemency for him. On 2 March 2006, Glitter was tried on charges of committing obscene acts with two girls, aged 10 and 11, facing up to 14 years in prison if convicted. The following day, he was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison. The sentence included mandatory deportation at the end of his sentence, and payment of five million
Vietnamese đồng The dong ( Vietnamese: ''đồng'', Chữ Nôm: 銅) (; ; sign: ₫ or informally đ in Vietnamese; code: VND) has been the currency of Vietnam since 3 May 1978. It is issued by the State Bank of Vietnam. The dong was also the currency of the p ...
(US$315) to his victims' families. Judge Hoàng Thanh Tùng said: "He sexually abused and committed obscene acts with children many times in a disgusting and sick manner."AP,
Yahoo! News Yahoo! News is a news website that originated as an internet-based news aggregator by Yahoo!. The site was created by a Yahoo! software engineer named Brad Clawsie in August 1996. Articles originally came from news services such as the Associate ...
(27 December 2005)
Glitter continued to deny any wrongdoing, claiming to have been framed by British tabloid newspapers. In an interview with
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
in May 2006, Glitter denied that he was a paedophile and claimed not to have knowingly had sex with anyone under 18. He said that he had hoped to put his life back on track and have a career after he left prison in England. He continued to blame the press for his downfall and called them "the worst enemy in the world," alleging that they had paid girls in a bar to arrange a photo scoop. Glitter did not comment about his previous conviction for downloading child pornography several years earlier. Christine Beddoe, director of End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking, criticised Glitter and said that he was trying to "minimise what he has done... We must allow children to tell their story and not just have the words of Gadd." On 15 June 2006, in a closed hearing, a three-judge panel of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam heard Glitter's appeal for a reduced sentence. The appeal was rejected four weeks later. Although he was calm throughout the 40-minute reading of the verdict, upon leaving the courthouse, Glitter shouted angrily to reporters and denounced Vietnamese justice for not hearing the defence arguments. On 7 February 2007, his sentence was reduced by three months. In anticipation of his release, the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
barred Glitter from entering that country as of 16 May 2008.


Imprisonment and release

Glitter served his sentence in Thủ Đức Prison in southern Bình Thuận province. He shared a cell with 18 other foreign inmates and was exempted from hard labour because of his age. In 2007, he suffered from high blood pressure, and was put on medication and told to stop buying beer from the prison canteen. In January 2008, after being taken to a prison clinic for treatment of intestinal problems, tests showed that Glitter also had an irregular heartbeat. Later that month, he suffered a heart attack and collapsed in his cell. He was taken to a hospital in Phan Thiết, where he was kept under police guard. He was visited in hospital by officials from the British embassy. Glitter's Vietnamese lawyer, Le Thanh Kinh, said that his client intended to return to the UK, although he had also expressed interest in moving to either
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
or
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. In the UK, it was reported that he would be placed on the Sex Offenders Register on his return. British
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all nationa ...
Jacqui Smith said that Glitter should be given a Foreign Travel Order (FTO) banning him from overseas travel: "We need to control him, and he will be ontrolledonce he returns to this country." Glitter was released on 19 August 2008. He was escorted under police guard to
Tan Son Nhat International Airport Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport ( vi, Sân bay quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất or Cảng hàng không quốc tế Tân Sơn Nhất) is the busiest airport in Vietnam with 32.5 million passengers in 2016 and 38.5 million passengers in 201 ...
in
Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...
and put on a flight to London via Bangkok. In Bangkok, he claimed that he had tinnitus and a heart condition and refused to board the flight to London despite the efforts of British police sent to escort him, although they had no jurisdiction to take action. A doctor attending to him airside diagnosed Glitter with costochondritis, prescribed him painkillers, and declared him fit for travel. Glitter continued to refuse to leave. He booked himself into a transit lounge room and claimed he was a "free man." He was refused admission to Thailand as a threat to domestic morality. Thai immigration officials gave him a deadline to leave the country, and warned that he would be detained and deported to the UK if he did not leave voluntarily. On the evening of 20 August, Glitter took a flight to Hong Kong, where he requested medical treatment, claiming that he was suffering a heart attack. The Hong Kong authorities also refused to admit him and he returned to Thailand the next day. At least 19 countries, including Cuba, Cambodia, and the Philippines, announced that they would refuse entry to Glitter, and on 21 August the Thai authorities stated that he had agreed to return to the UK. At 7:10 a.m. on 22 August 2008, he arrived at Heathrow Airport, where he was met by British police officers. On his return to the UK, Glitter was added to the Sex Offenders Register for life; he stated an intention to appeal against the decision, but on 16 January 2009 it was announced that he had abandoned the appeal. On 25 June 2008, ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' reported that Glitter planned to record a new album after his prison release. He was quoted as saying: "I have an incomplete album that I want to finish. I have been thinking about the plan during my days in jail. I have sung rock 'n' roll for 40 years. After jail, I will continue to rock 'n' roll."


2012 allegations and 2015 conviction

In October 2012, ITV aired the documentary '' The Other Side of Jimmy Savile'' in its '' Exposure'' strand, which detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Savile, who had died the previous year. Accounts included an accusation against Glitter, who was alleged to have raped a 13- or 14-year-old girl in Savile's BBC dressing room. On 28 October, Glitter was arrested and questioned by police in London as part of
Operation Yewtree Operation Yewtree was a British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against the English media personality Jimmy Savile and others. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police Service ( ...
. Glitter was released on police bail until the middle of December and was bailed again until February. On 5 June 2014, Glitter was charged with eight counts of sexual offences committed against two girls aged 12–14 between 1977 and 1980. On 19 January 2015, Glitter appeared at Southwark Crown Court accused of seven counts of indecent assault, one count of attempted rape, and two other sexual offences against three girls between 1975 and 1980. He was accused of sexually assaulting two girls aged 12 and 13 after inviting them backstage to his dressing room and attempting to rape a girl under the age of 10 after having crept into her bed. The trial lasted two and a half weeks. On 5 February 2015, Glitter was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13. He was acquitted of the three other counts. He was remanded in custody at HM Prison Wandsworth prior to his sentencing. On 27 February 2015, Judge Alistair McCreath sentenced Glitter to 16 years in prison. In May 2015, Glitter began an appeal against his convictions. On 17 November 2015, Glitter's appeal was denied by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that there was nothing unsafe about the conviction. In November 2015, it was announced that Glitter's performances on the BBC's ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' would not be reshown. From 2015 to 2018, Glitter was incarcerated at HM Prison Albany. In 2018, he was transferred to
HM Prison The Verne HM Prison The Verne is a Category C men's prison, located within the historic Verne Citadel, on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. Operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, HMP The Verne was established in 1949 and occupies the souther ...
, a lower security prison. He is eligible for release as early as February 2023.


Discography

Studio albums


Covers/samples

*1974 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" by
Brownsville Station Brownsville station is a Metrorail station in Brownsville, Florida. It is located at the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue ( SR 9) and 52nd Street, opening to service May 19, 1985. Station layout Places of interest *Brownsville *Joseph Ca ...
– No. 48 US *1980 '' Holiday '80'' EP by the Human League (includes cover of "Rock and Roll" as part of a medley with Iggy Pop's " Nightclubbing") *1980 "Doing Alright with the Boys" by Joan Jett *1980 "Do You Wanna Touch Me" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – No. 20 US *1982 "Rock and Roll Part 2" covered by
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
band D.I. *1983 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" by Rock Goddess – No. 57 UK *1983 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" by Planet PatrolR&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart No. 62 US *1984 "I Love You Love Me Love" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – No. 105 US *1987 "A Little Boogie Woogie (In the Back of My Mind)" Shakin' Stevens – No. 12 UK *1988 "KLF – Doctorin' the Tardis" by The Timelords featuring Gary Glitter – No. 1 UK (features samples of "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)") *1989 " Let's Party" Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers – UK No. 1 (features a sample of Glitter's "Another Rock and Roll Christmas") *1989 "Rock and Roll" by the Undertones, cover of "Rock and' Roll (Part 1)", The Peel Sessions Album (Undertones) *1993 "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" Green Jellÿ featuring Hulk Hogan – No. 25 UK *1995 "Hello" by Oasis (uses elements of and quotes the chorus of "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again")


Books

* Glitter, Gary with
Lloyd Bradley Lloyd Bradley (born 21 January 1955) is a British music journalist and author. Biography Born in London to recent immigrants from St Kitts, Bradley discovered Jamaican music during his teenage years, while going out in the North London-based ...
(1991), ''Leader: The Autobiography of Gary Glitter'', Ebury Press, * Anon. (1976), ''Garry Glitter Annual 1976'',
Jarrold & Sons The Jarrold Group is a Norwich–based company, founded as ''Jarrold & Sons Ltd'', in 1770, by John Jarrold, at Woodbridge, Suffolk, before relocating to Norfolk in 1823. ''The Jarrold Group'' still involves members of the Jarrold family. Fami ...
, * Anon. (1975), ''Garry Glitter Annual 1975'', World Distributors Ltd.,


See also

* Byrd Dickens *
Child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom Child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom has been reported in the country throughout its history. In about 90% of cases the abuser is a person known to the child. However, cases during the second half of the twentieth century, involving religiou ...
* ''
The Execution of Gary Glitter ''The Execution of Gary Glitter'' is a ninety-minute television drama, produced by Juniper Communications Limited and broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, which follows an imaginary trial and execution by hanging of former glam rock singer Gary Glit ...
'' * List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1970s


References


External links


Profile: Gary Glitter
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
* * *
I Am the Leader of the Gary Glitter Gang, Actually ...
by John Battles {{DEFAULTSORT:Glitter, Gary 1944 births 20th-century English criminals 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers 21st-century English criminals Bell Records artists British disco musicians British expatriates in Vietnam British hard rock musicians British people convicted of attempted rape British rock and roll musicians Converts to Buddhism Criminals from Oxfordshire English autobiographers English Buddhists English male criminals English male singers English people convicted of child pornography offences English people convicted of child sexual abuse English people convicted of indecent assault English people imprisoned abroad English pop rock singers English pop singers English prisoners and detainees English record producers English rock singers English songwriters Glam rock musicians Ivor Novello Award winners Living people Musicians from Oxfordshire Operation Yewtree People convicted of child pornography offenses Child pornography offenses People deported from Cambodia People from Banbury Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales Prisoners and detainees of Vietnam Protopunk musicians