Marianne Joan Elliott-Said (3 July 1957 – 25 April 2011), known by the stage name Poly Styrene, was an English musician, singer-songwriter, and

frontwoman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

for the punk rock band

X-Ray Spex X-Ray Spex were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 in London. During their first incarnation (1976–1979), X-Ray Spex released five singles and one album. Their 1977 single " Oh Bondage Up Yours!" and 1978 debut album '' Germfree Adol ...

Early life

Poly Styrene was born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said in 1957 in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, c ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and brought up in

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th cent ...

, London. Her mother, who raised her alone, was a Scottish-Irish

legal secretary A legal secretary is a particular category of worker within the legal profession. Background In the practice of law in the United States, a legal secretary is a person who works in the legal profession, typically assisting lawyers. Legal secretari ...

. Her father was a Somali-born dock worker, although Poly Styrene used to tell the press that he was a dispossessed

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali ...

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient R ...

. As a teenager, Styrene was a

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

. When she was 15 she ran away from home with £3 in her pocket, and

hitchhike Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads hav ...

d from one music festival to another, staying at hippie

crash pad ''Crash Pad'' is a 2017 American comedy film directed by Kevin Tent, from a screenplay by Jeremy Catalino. It stars Domhnall Gleeson, Christina Applegate, Thomas Haden Church and Nina Dobrev. It was released through video on demand on September ...

s. Thinking of this as a challenge to survive, her adventure ended when she stepped on a rusty nail while bathing in a stream and had to be treated for

sepsis Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...

. Having been 'an itinerant traveller, alternative fashion designer and a failed pop-reggae singer', she saw

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

perform at the Pier Pavilion in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

on her nineteenth birthday, 3 July 1976, and decided to form the punk band

Music career

Demo and first single

Styrene recorded her first demo album in 1975, when she was 18 years old. Her manager enlisted Ted Bunting to produce the record. In 1976, Styrene released her first single under her real name, Mari Elliott. Titled "Silly Billy", it was a reggae track, with some touches of the then popular ska style. Her daughter Celeste has called it 'similar to

Althea and Donna Althea & Donna were a Jamaican reggae vocal duo, consisting of Althea Rose Forrest and Donna Marie Reid. They are best known for their 1977 single " Uptown Top Ranking", which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom in 1978. Career The Jama ...

, who she really liked'. She co-wrote the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

"What a Way" with the record's producer, Falcon Stuart. The single came in a

GTO Records GTO Records was a British record label which released many hits during the 1970s. It ran from 1974 to 1981 and mainly concentrated on pop music and disco. The acronym represented the Gem Toby Organization. Background The record label was co-fo ...

sleeve.

X-Ray Spex

After watching a very early gig by the

in an empty hall on

Hastings Pier Hastings Pier is a public pleasure pier in Hastings, East Sussex, England. Built in 1872 and enjoying its prime in the 1930s, it became a popular music venue in the 1960s. The structure suffered major storm damage in 1990, and was closed to the ...

, playing a set of cover songs, she was inspired to put an ad in the music papers for 'young punx who want to stick it together' to form a band. From this, she became the singer with

, Poly Styrene, a name she chose from the 'Yellow Pages' when she was 'looking for a name of the time, something plastic.' She was described by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' as the "archetype for the modern-day feminist punk"; because she wore dental braces, rebelled against the archetypal female sex object of the 1970s, sported a gaudy Dayglo wardrobe, and was of mixed race. She was "one of the least conventional frontpersons in rock history, male or female". They launched their debut single in 1977. In 1978, after a gig in

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. ...

, Styrene had a vision of a pink light in the sky and felt objects crackling when she touched them. Thinking she was

hallucinating A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the qualities of a real perception. Hallucinations are vivid, substantial, and are perceived to be located in external objective space. Hallucination is a combinati ...

, her mother took her to the hospital where Marianne was misdiagnosed with

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

sectioned Involuntary commitment, civil commitment, or involuntary hospitalization/hospitalisation is a legal process through which an individual who is deemed by a qualified agent to have symptoms of severe mental disorder is detained in a psychiatric hos ...

, and told she would never work again. She was diagnosed with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevat ...

in 1991.

Solo career

After the original line-up of X-Ray Spex broke up in 1979, Poly Styrene recorded a solo album, '' Translucence'', in 1980. The album abandoned X-Ray Spex's loud guitar work for a quieter and more jazzy sound that has since been described as foreshadowing later work by

Everything but the Girl Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Wat ...

. In 1986, she released the EP ''God's & Godesses'' on the Awesome record label. A New Age solo album, ''Flower Aeroplane'', followed in 2004. She described herself as "an observer, not a suffering artist writing from tortured experiences. I was playing with words and ideas. Having a laugh about everything, sending it up." In 2007, Styrene was invited to the Concrete Jungle festival in

Camber Sands Camber Sands is a beach in East Sussex, UK, in the village of Camber, near Rye. It is the only sand dune system in East Sussex, and is east of the estuary of the River Rother at Rye Bay stretching to just beyond the Kent border, where shin ...

, by her friend Goldblade's John Robb where she and the gathering's organiser, Symond Lawes, agreed to initiate a 30-year celebration of X-Ray Spex's debut album, '' Germfree Adolescents''. They decided to hold a live show at the

Camden Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

, which was a sell-out event on 6 September 2008. A live album/DVD of this event, ''Live @ The Roundhouse London 2008'', was released in November 2009 on the Year Zero label by Future Noise Music. She made a guest appearance at the 2008 30th anniversary concert of

Rock Against Racism Rock Against Racism (RAR) was a political and cultural movement which emerged in 1976 in reaction to a rise in racist attacks on the streets of the United Kingdom and increasing support for the far-right National Front at the ballot box. Betwe ...

Victoria Park, London Victoria Park (known colloquially as Vicky Park or the People's Park) is a park in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, England. It is the largest park in Tower Hamlets and one of London's most visited green spaces with approxim ...

, performing " Oh Bondage Up Yours!" with guest musicians Drew McConnell (of

Babyshambles Babyshambles were an English rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) during a hiatus from the Libertines. As of 2013 the band includes Mick Whitnall (lead guitar), Drew McConnell (bas ...

and Helsinki) and 'Flash' David Wright playing saxophone. That same year, she dueted with Goldblade's John Robb on a

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

of Goldblade's "City of Christmas Ghosts". In March 2009, Styrene joined other members of

PRS for Music PRS for Music Limited (formerly The MCPS-PRS Alliance Limited) is a British music copyright collective, made up of two collection societies: the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) and the Performing Right Society (PRS). It undertakes ...

in criticising

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

for allegedly not paying a fair share of

royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

to musicians. This followed Google's removal of millions of videos from YouTube because of a royalties dispute with the organisation. NME.com announced on 29 October 2010 that Poly Styrene was to release a solo album titled ''Generation Indigo'', produced by

Martin Glover Martin Glover (born 27 December 1960), better known by his stage name Youth, is a British record producer and musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the rock band Killing Joke. He is also a member of the Fireman, along with P ...

(aka Youth from

Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (bass). Their first album, '' Killing Joke'', was released ...

), in March 2011. She released a free download of "Black Christmas" in November 2010. Inspired by a Los Angeles killing spree of a man dressed as

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

, "Black Christmas" was written in collaboration with her daughter, Celeste. Styrene announced "Virtual Boyfriend" as the first single from the new album ''Generation Indigo'' via Spinner Music, as well as the launch of her new website. "Virtual Boyfriend" was released on 21 March 2011, and featured an animated promotional video directed by Ben Wheele. ''Generation Indigo'' was released on 28 March 2011, via Future Noise Music. The album received critical acclaim, including a perfect 10 out of 10 score in ''

Artrocker Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Machine. Having started life with an online newsletter and eve ...

'' magazine, and 8 out of 10 in ''

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 ...

'' newspaper. ''Generation Indigo'' was also chosen as Album of the Day on UK radio station

BBC 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available only ...

. It was released in the US on 24 April 2011, the day before her death. "Ghoulish" was the first posthumous single to be released from ''Generation Indigo'', and was backed by a remix from Hercules and Love Affair. ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

'' magazine's music journalist Nitsuh Abebe described her singing style with X-Ray Spex as "a bold, keening yelp" and "fierce but fiercely feminine." The band U2 paid tribute to Styrene during the "HerStory" video tribute to notable women in 2017 for the 30th anniversary of ''

The Joshua Tree ''The Joshua Tree'' is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, ' ...

'' during a performance of "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)" from the band's 1991 album ''

Achtung Baby ''Achtung Baby'' () is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 release ''Rattle and Hum'', U2 shifte ...

''.

Personal life

In 1983, Styrene was initiated into the Hare Krishna movement and recorded at their recording studios while living as a devotee at Bhaktivedanta Manor. She lived as a Hare Krishna convert in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...

and London from 1983 to 1988. Styrene was a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

. In 1995, Styrene's solo work was put on hold when she suffered a fractured pelvis after being knocked down by a fire engine. In March 2009, Styrene took part in the inaugural Instigate Debate night. The night's theme was modern day

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the su ...

. Other current issues were also discussed. She had a daughter, Celeste Bell-Dos Santos, and lived alone in St Leonards, East Sussex.

Death

In February 2011, in an interview published in ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' magazine, which largely focused on her past and present relationship with her daughter, Celeste, Styrene revealed that she had been treated for breast cancer, and that it had

spread Spread may refer to: Places * Spread, West Virginia Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Spread'' (film), a 2009 film. * ''$pread'', a quarterly magazine by and for sex workers * "Spread", a song by OutKast from their 2003 album ''Speakerboxxx/T ...

to her spine and lungs. She died of

metastatic breast cancer Metastatic breast cancer, also referred to as metastases, advanced breast cancer, secondary tumors, secondaries or stage IV breast cancer, is a stage of breast cancer where the breast cancer cells have spread to distant sites beyond the axillary l ...

on 25 April 2011, at the age of 53.

Documentary and biography

Author Zoë Howe and Styrene's daughter, Celeste Bell, co-authored a biography of Styrene that was published in November 2018. The book, titled ''Day Glo: The Poly Styrene Story'', was published in the United States in September 2019. In 2021, Styrene was the subject of a documentary, '' Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché'', that was initially

crowd-funded Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by cro ...

until the project got some investment from

Sky Arts Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...

. Like the biography, the documentary was co-written by Howe and Bell, with Celeste Bell also directing with Paul Sng and providing the narration with

Ruth Negga Ruth Negga ( ; born 7 January 1981) is an Ethiopian-Irish actress known for the AMC television series ''Preacher'' and the film ''Loving''. For her portrayal of Mildred Loving in the latter, Negga received several major nominations from the Ac ...

. The documentary coincided with the 40th anniversary of the release of the first X-Ray Spex album, ''Germfree Adolescents''. "This film will be a celebration of the life and work of my mother, an artist who deserves to be recognised as one of the greatest frontwomen of all time; a little girl with a big voice whose words are more relevant than ever" Bell said. The world premiere of ''I Am a Cliché'' took place online on 27 February 2021, with the film being released on digital formats on 5 March 2021 and broadcast by Sky Arts on 6 March 2021.

Solo discography

Albums

* '' Translucence'' (

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, 1980) * ''Flower Aeroplane'' (2004) * ''Generation Indigo'' (Future Noise Music, 2011)

EPs

* ''God's & Godesses'' (Awesome, 1986)

Singles

* "Silly Billy"/"What A Way" – as Mari Elliott (

GTO GTO may refer to: Entertainment * ''Great Teacher Onizuka'', a manga, anime, live-action series, and film * GameTable Online, a game portal Music bands * GTO (band), an Australian band * The GTOs, an American girl group * Giraffe Tongue Orche ...

, 1976) * "Talk in Toytown"/"Sub Tropical" (United Artists, 1980) * "City of Christmas Ghosts" –

Goldblade Goldblade are an English punk rock band from Manchester, England. The band formed in early 1995 when ex Membranes frontman, John Robb, put the band together with Wayne Simmons and former Membranes and A Witness vocalist Keith Curtis on bas ...

featuring Poly Styrene ( Damaged Goods, 2008) * "Black Christmas" (2010) * "Virtual Boyfriend" (2011) * "Ghoulish" (2011)

References

External links

Poly Styrene's official website
personal site {{DEFAULTSORT:Styrene, Poly 1957 births 2011 deaths English people of Somali descent 20th-century Black British women singers 21st-century Black British women singers Deaths from cancer in England Converts to Hinduism Deaths from breast cancer English feminists English Hare Krishnas English Hindus English punk rock singers Women punk rock singers Women new wave singers English rock singers English women singer-songwriters Feminist musicians People with bipolar disorder People from Bromley Musicians from Kent Musicians from London People from Brixton English people of Irish descent English people of Scottish descent X-Ray Spex members Black British rock musicians