Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor (
August 21,
1952 â€"
December 22,
2002) better known as
Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the
English punk rock band
The Clash, and later
The Mescaleros.
Joe Strummer was born as John Mellor in
Ankara,
Turkey on
August 21,
1952. His father was a British foreign-service diplomat and spent much of his time moving from place to place, which meant that Strummer spent his childhood in a variety of different countries. At the age of 10, Strummer and his older brother David began boarding at the
City of London Freemen's School, in Surrey. During this time Strummer rarely saw his parents. He developed a love of rock music, listening to records by
The Beatles and
The Beach Boys, as well as
American folk-singer
Woody Guthrie (Strummer would even go by the name "Woody" for a few years, until changing his name to "Joe Strummer" around the same time that the Clash was formed). Strummer was never very close to his brother David, but nonetheless David's suicide significantly changed Joe's outlook on life. After finishing his time in private school, in 1970 Strummer moved on to London's Central School of Art & Design, where he briefly flirted with the idea of becoming a professional cartoonist. Allegedly, he was expelled from the school for using
LSD. During this time, Strummer shared a flat in the north London suburb of Palmers Green with friends
Clive Timperley and
Tymon Dogg.
|
Memorial to Strummer on 7th Street at Avenue A, New York City. |
In
1973 Strummer moved to
Newport,
Wales to attend the Newport College Of Art, but he soon dropped out. While there he joined up with some friends who were forming a band called The Vultures. For the next year he was the band's part-time singer and rhythm guitarist. During this time Strummer also worked as a gravedigger. In
1974 the band fell apart and he moved back to London where he met up again with
Tymon Dogg. He
busked on the streets for a while and then decided to form another band with his West London roommates. The band was called
The 101'ers, named for the address of their squat (101 Walterton Road, in Westminster). The band played many gigs in London pubs playing covers of popular American R&B and blues songs. In
1975 he changed his name from "Woody" Mellor to Joe Strummer, and even insisted that his friends call him by that name. The name "Strummer" obviously refers to his role as guitarist, but in a rather self-deprecating way. Though left-handed, he was taught to play right-handed by his friend
Tymon Dogg. This hampered his abilities (which were lackluster to begin with) and confined him to strumming chords. Strummer was the lead singer of the 101'ers and began to write original songs for the group. The first song he ever wrote was inspired by his girlfriend at the time,
Slits drummer
Palmolive. The song, "Keys to Your Heart" was liked by the group and was picked as their first single.
Strummer married three times. In the early 1970's Strummer married Pamela Moolman, a
South African citizen, so she could obtain British citizenship. After they divorced he married Gaby Salter by whom he had two daughters. This marriage also ended in divorce and in
1995 he married Lucinda Tait. This final marriage lasted until Strummer's death.
On
April 3,
1976, a then-unknown band called
Sex Pistols opened for The 101'ers at a venue called "The Nashville Rooms" in London, and at this show Strummer saw the future of music. He saw that the music that the Sex Pistols were performing was dangerous and exciting and realized that The 101'ers were going nowhere. Sometime after this show, Strummer was approached by
Bernie Rhodes and
Mick Jones. Jones was from the band
London SS and wanted Strummer to join as the band's lead singer. Strummer agreed to join just as the group was breaking up, but he decided to stick around and formed a new band with Jones, bassist
Paul Simonon, drummer
Terry Chimes and guitarist
Keith Levene. The band was named
The Clash by Simonon and made their debut on
August 29,
1976, opening for
Sex Pistols in
Sheffield, England. On
January 25,
1977 the band signed with
CBS Records and was now a three-piece after Levene was booted from the band and Chimes quit. Drummer
Topper Headon would later become the band's full-time drummer.
The Clash was the most musically diverse and overtly political of the original English punk bands. Their songs tackled social decay, unemployment, racism, police brutality, political and social repression, militarism and, occasionally, sex. It was all heroically idealistic, but The Clash were deadly serious about everything they did. Strummer was involved with the
Anti-Nazi League and
Rock Against Racism campaigns. He later also gave his support to the
Rock Against the Rich series of concerts organised by the
anarchist organisation
Class War. The Clash's
London Calling album was voted best album of the
1980s by
Rolling Stone magazine (although it was released in late
1979 in the UK it was released in 1980 in the USA). The Clash's influence can be clearly felt in the bands
U2,
No Doubt,
Billy Idol and
Generation X,
Manic Street Preachers,
Rancid,
Green Day,
Rage Against The Machine,
Nirvana,
The Libertines,
Red Hot Chili Peppers (especially
John Frusciante and Flea). Even hip-hop revolutionaries
Public Enemy cite the Clash as a major influence. The Clash are also almost certainly responsible for the explosion of
garage bands in the
1980s and
1990s.
During his time with The Clash, Strummer, along with his bandmates, became notorious for getting in trouble with the law. On
June 10,
1977, he and Topper were arrested for spray-painting "The Clash" on a wall in a hotel, and in the early 80s he was arrested for hitting a violent member of the audience with his guitar during a show in
Hamburg,
Germany. Before the album "
Combat Rock" was released in
1982, Strummer disappeared in what was supposed to be a publicity stunt created by the band's manager, Bernie Rhodes. During this time band members began to argue a lot, and with tensions high, the group began to fall apart. In September
1982, Strummer issued the infamous "Clash Communique", and fired Mick Jones. Topper Headon had earlier been kicked out of the band because of his heroin addiction, which now left the band with only two of its original members. Strummer decided to carry on and added new members. "The Clash Mark Two" released the album "Cut The Crap" in
1985. The album was panned by fans and critics alike and Strummer disbanded the band. In November
1985, Strummer went to Jones and asked him to help him reform the band, which Jones refused to do.
A year later, Strummer joined up with Jones again and worked on a few songs for the film
Sid and Nancy. Strummer would also later work with Jones and his band
Big Audio Dynamite, contributing to the band's second album. In
1987 he starred in the film
Walker, directed by
Alex Cox, as a character named "Faucet" and wrote and performed on the film's soundtrack. He would star in another Cox film that same year called
Straight to Hell, as the character Simms. In
1989 Strummer would act in a small role in
Jim Jarmusch's film
Mystery Train, as a man called Elvis with a drunken temper. He also made a brief appearance in the
1990 film
I hired a contract killer as a guitarist in a pub, singing two songs written by members of
The Pogues. These were released as a promotional 7" single limited to a few hundred copies, credited to "Joe Strummer & the Astro Physicians". During this time Strummer continued to act, write and produce soundtracks for various films, most notably the soundtrack for
Grosse_Pointe_Blank.
In
1989 Strummer began producing solo records with a band called
The Latino Rockabilly War. The album
Earthquake Weather was a critical and commercial flop, and resulted in the loss of his contract with
Sony Records. He then kept a low profile for nearly a decade, but in
1991, he replaced
Shane MacGowan as singer of
The Pogues for a tour after MacGowan's departure from the band. Strummer also produced the Pogues album
Hell's Ditch. On April 16, 1994, Strummer joined Czech-American band Dirty Pictures on stage in Prague at "Rock for Refugees", a benefit concert for people left displaced by the war in Yugoslavia. Backed up by the Pictures, Strummer played a blistering set of Clash songs that he said he had not played in more than ten years. Although the set appeared impromptu, Joe and the band had spent the days leading up to the event rehearsing and "hanging out" in Prague. After these self-described "wilderness years," Strummer began working with other bands; he played piano on the
1995 UK hit of
The Levellers, "Just the One" and appeared on the
Black Grape single "England's Irie" in
1996.
Also during this time, Strummer was in a Mexican standoff with The Clash's record label,
Sony Records. The disagreement lasted nearly eight years and ended with the label agreeing to let him record solo records on his own with another label. If The Clash were to reunite though, they would have to record for Sony.
|
Strummer and The Mescaleros. |
Finally, in the mid-to-late
1990s, Strummer gathered top-flight musicians into a backing band he called
The Mescaleros. Strummer and the band signed with
Mercury Records, and issued their first album in
1999, which was co-written with
Anthony Genn, called
Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. A tour of
England and
North America soon followed; sets included several Clash fan favourites. In
2001 the band signed with
Californian punk label
Hellcat Records and then released their second album, "Global A Go-Go". The album was supported with a 21-date tour of
North America,
Britain, and
Ireland. Once again, these concerts featured Clash material ("London Calling", "Rudie Can't Fail," "White Man in Hammersmith Palais"), as well as classic covers of
reggae and
ska hits ("The Harder They Come", "A Message To You, Rudy") and the band regularly closed the show with a nod to the late
Joey Ramone by playing
The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop".
On
November 16,
2002, Strummer and The Mescaleros played a benefit show for striking fire fighters in
London.
Mick Jones was in the crowd, and surprisingly, joined the band on stage during the Clash's classic "Bankrobber." Jones had been in attendance at the gig, and when the band started to play "Bankrobber", he is said to have shouted "I gotta get up there!" An encore followed with Jones playing guitar and singing on "White Riot" and "London Calling." This performance marked the first time since
1983 that Strummer and Mick had performed together on stage. Jones later remarked that it was totally unplanned and that he felt compelled to join Strummer on stage.
Strummer's final gig was at Liverpool Academy on
November 22,
2002. Shortly before his death Strummer and
U2's
Bono co-wrote a song, "
46664", for
Nelson Mandela as part of a campaign against
AIDS in
Africa. Strummer had been scheduled to play at Mandela's SOS fundraising concert in
February 2003 on
Robben Island.
Strummer died on
December 22,
2002 in his home at
Broomfield in
Somerset, the victim of an undiagnosed
congenital heart defect. His untimely death at age 50 shocked and saddened a generation of fans to whom he had been an inspirational figure. According to Clash band members
Paul Simonon and
Mick Jones, at the time of Strummer's death, the band (including
Topper Headon) was considering reuniting for a world tour.
At the time of his death, Strummer was working on another album, which was released posthumously in October
2003 under the title
Streetcore. The songs "Coma Girl" and "Arms Aloft" from this album bear comparison with the Clash's best work, while the cover of
Bobby Charles' "Before I Grow Too Old" (renamed "Silver and Gold") is a poignant closer. The album also features a tribute to
American music icon
Johnny Cash ("Long Shadow"), which was actually written for Cash to sing and recorded in
Rick Rubin's garage, as well as a remembrance of the
September 11, 2001 attacks ("Ramshackle Day Parade"), and a cover of
Bob Marley's classic "
Redemption Song", which Strummer had also recorded in a duet with Cash. (The Cash/Strummer duet version appears on the
2003 box set Unearthed).
At the
Grammy Awards in February
2003, "London Calling" was performed by
Elvis Costello,
Bruce Springsteen,
Steven van Zandt,
Dave Grohl,
Pete Thomas, and
Tony Kanal in tribute to Strummer. In March
2003,
The Clash were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
|
Lucinda Mellor and the locomotive Joe Strummer. |
In addition to his music, Strummer was instrumental in setting up
Future Forests (recently rechistened the
Carbon Neutral Company), an organisation dedicated to planting trees in various parts of the world in order to combat
global warming. Strummer was the first artist to make the recording, pressing and distribution of his records
carbon neutral through the planting of trees. Many other artists such as
Foo Fighters,
Coldplay and
Pink Floyd have followed suit and fans can visit the
Carbon Neutral Company website to buy trees to be planted in their favourite artist's forest (Strummer's being christened "Rebels Wood", a specially selected section in Orbost, on the
Isle of Skye.) In his remembrance, Strummer's friends and family have established the
Strummerville Foundation for the promotion of new music. The Belfast punk rock group
Stiff Little Fingers also recorded a tribute song "Strummerville" on their album,
Guitar and Drum. On
February 12,
2005 the
Class 47 locomotive 47828 was named "Joe Strummer". The nameplates were unveiled by his widow Lucinda in a ceremony at
Bristol Temple Meads railway station. Also, on
July 22,
2005 Lucinda unveiled a plaque on the house in Pentonville, Newport where Strummer lived from 1973 to 1974 and where his first foray into recorded music, "Crummy Bum Blues" was recorded.[
1]
Throughout his career, his fans have remarked at the devotion he gave back to the fans themselves. It has been said that Strummer never left a venue until everyone who had waited around got an autograph and talked with him personally, a process which often lasted for hours. He continued to play Clash songs, despite the grievances of some Mescaleros, simply for his fans.
A documentary by
Dick Rude titled
Let's Rock Again! is set for a DVD release on June 27th, 2006. The film, completed after Joe's death, chronicles life on tour with the Mescaleros.
For recordings made with the Clash please see The Clash discographySolo recordings
Albums
With The Latino Rockabilly War
Albums
With The Mescaleros
Albums
*
Download sample of Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros performing
Bob Marley's "
Redemption Song"
*
View video The video of the Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros version of Redemption Song from the album Streetcore. A very touching tribute to Joe by his friends.
*Gilbert, Pat.
Passion is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash, 2004. DA CAPO Press. ISBN 0-306-81434-X (pbk.)
*Gray, Marcus.
Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of The Clash, Henry Holt and Co., 1995.
*Yewdall, John Leonard.
Joe Strummer with the 101'ers and the Clash, 1974-1976, 1992. Image Direct. ISBN 0-951-92160-6
*"Clash star Joe Strummer dies".
CNN.
link - last accessed on
January 15,
2006.
*Matula, Theodore. "Joe Strummer, 1952-2002."
Popular Music and Society. Dec 2003. Vol. 26, Iss. 4; p. 523-525.
*
The 101'ers*
The Clash*
The Mescaleros*
Let's Rock Again!*
Festival of music and film to celebrate the musical influence and works of Joe Strummer*
The Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music*
The home of The Mescaleros*
Joe Strummer - Know Your Eggs*
Strummer News*
Joe Strummer - Legend*
The Mescaleros*
Revolution Rock* http://www.joestrummer.us/
*
Joe Strummer with the Clash and the 101'ers, 1974-1976*
Joe Strummer & The Clash Forum*
The Carbon Neutral Company* http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2600669.stm
*
When I met Joe Strummer*
Guardian story of Strummer's death* http://www.theclashonline.com/
*
Joe Strummer Memorial Tribute Concert by Billy Bragg - February 22nd, 2003
