Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist of the band Joy Division, which he joined in 1976. is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Trafford (disambiguation). ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... , Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50,688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... This article is about the band. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the band. ...

Years after his death, critics and fans continue to write and discuss at length Curtis's music, possible motivations and inspirations. News of his suicide in 1980 spurred many rumours, further accelerating interest in his work and much-scrutinized "troubles". For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ...

Early life

Curtis was born in the Memorial Hospital, Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1956. He grew up in the Hurdsfield area of Macclesfield and from a young age he exhibited talent as a poet. Although awarded a scholarship to attend the The King's School, Macclesfield, at the age of 11, Curtis never pursued academic success. As he grew older, his ambitions and hopes became focused on a pursuit of art and literature, eventually culminating in music. Curtis served as a civil servant in Manchester and later in Macclesfield. , Old Trafford is an area of Stretford in Greater Manchester, England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... , Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50,688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area). ... The Kings School, Macclesfield is a Public day school in Macclesfield, England, and a member of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

He was influenced by the writers William Burroughs, J. G. Ballard, and Joseph Conrad (the song titles "Interzone", "Atrocity Exhibition", and "Colony" coming from the three authors, respectively), and by the musicians David Bowie and Iggy Pop. William S. Burroughs. ... James Graham Ballard (born 15 November 1930 in Shanghai) is a British writer. ... // Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Polish-born English novelist. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... James Newell Osterberg, Jr. ...

Curtis married his girlfriend Deborah Woodruff in 1975, while they both were still teenagers. They had one child, Natalie (born 16 April 1979). Curtis had a lover, Belgian journalist Annik Honoré, whom he met after a concert in an interview. Deborah Curtis is the widow of Joy Divisions singer and lyricist, Ian Curtis, who committed suicide in 1980. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... National motto: Dutch: Eendracht maakt macht; French: Lunion fait la force; German: Einigkeit macht stark (English: Strength lies in unity) Official language Dutch, French, German Capital Brussels Largest City Brussels King Albert II Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 148th 30,528 km² 6. ...

Joy Division

Joy Division, left to right: Stephen Morris, Peter Hook, Curtis, Bernard Sumner.

In 1976, Curtis convinced himself his destiny was as a performer. He eventually met two young musicians, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook. Sumner and Hook mentioned to him they were trying to form a band and he immediately put himself forward as a vocalist and lyricist. The three of them recruited and sacked a succession of drummers before settling on Stephen Morris as their final member. Initially, the band was called Warsaw before changing its name to Joy Division in 1978, due to conflicts with the name of another band, Warsaw Pakt. The name "Joy Division" stemmed from the sexual slavery wing of a Nazi concentration camp in the 1955 novel The House of Dolls. Image:Joy Division. ... Image:Joy Division. ... Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England, and also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken, Bernard Albrecht and Bernard Albrecht-Dicken) is a British singer, guitarist and keyboardist, originally with Joy Division and a former member of New Order. ... Peter Hooky Hook (born February 13, 1956 in Salford, Lancashire) is an English bass player. ... Sacked is an Australian slang term for being fired from an occupation. ... Stephen Morris on the cover of Low-Life This article is about the musician Stephen Morris. ... Joy Division was a rock music band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. ... Warsaw Pakt was a short-lived punk group (1977-8), though some of its members had heritages linking them to the 1960s underground. ... National Socialism redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Internment be merged into this article or section. ... The House of Dolls is a 1955 novel by Ka-tzetnik 135633. ...

After starting up Factory Records with Alan Erasmus, Tony Wilson "signed" the band to his label (although no contracts were ever signed, despite the apocryphal tale of Wilson signing a contract in his own blood. This myth first emerged in 2002 from Wilson himself in the run up to the release of 24 Hour Party People, where the scene is also portrayed.) Alan Erasmus was the co-founder of Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC. Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson, was the music mogul behind some of Manchesters most successful bands. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

While performing for Joy Division, Curtis became known for his quiet and awkward demeanor, as well as a unique dancing style reminiscent of the epileptic seizures he experienced, sometimes even on stage. The resemblance was such that audience members were sometimes uncertain if Curtis was dancing or having a seizure; there were several incidents where he collapsed and had to be helped off stage. This article is about epileptic seizures. ...

Many of Curtis's writings were filled with imagery of emotional isolation, death, alienation, and urban degeneration. He once commented in an interview that he wrote about "the different ways different people can cope with certain problems, how they might or might not adapt". He sang in a bass-baritone voice, in contrast to his speaking voice, which was higher pitched. Joy Division had its recorded style developed by producer Martin Hannett, with some of their most innovative work being created in Strawberry Studios in Stockport (owned by Manchester act 10cc) and Cargo Recording Studios Rochdale in 1979, a studio which was developed from John Peel investing money into the music business in Rochdale. A bass-baritone is a singing voice that shares certain qualities of both the baritone and the bass. ... Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948) – April 18, 1991 )), sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was an innovative record producer who helped develop Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... Strawberry Studios is a recording studio in Stockport, England. ... Stockport is a large town in the north west of England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... 10cc was a British pop band which achieved its greatest commercial success during the 1970s. ... For other persons named John Peel, see John Peel (disambiguation). ...

Although predominantly a vocalist, Curtis also played guitar on a handful of tracks (usually when Bernard Sumner was playing synthesizer; "Incubation" was a rare case where both played guitar). At first Curtis played Sumner's Shergold Masquerader, but in September 1979 he acquired his own guitar, a Vox Phantom Special VI (often described incorrectly as a Teardrop or ordinary Phantom model) which had many built-in effects which were exploited both live and in the studio by Martin Hannett. After Curtis died, Sumner inherited the guitar, and it was used in several early New Order songs, such as "Everything's Gone Green". Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer formerly based in Britain, and now owned by Japanese electronics giants Korg, which is most famous for making the AC30 guitar amplifier and the Vox organ. ... Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948) – April 18, 1991 )), sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was an innovative record producer who helped develop Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Everythings Gone Green is a single released by British group New Order in December 1981. ...

Death

Curtis's last live performance was on 2 May 1980 at Birmingham University, a show that included Joy Division's first and only performance of the song "Ceremony", later recorded by New Order and released as their first single. The last song Curtis performed on stage was "Digital". The recording of this performance can be found on the compilation album Still. is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The University of Birmingham is the oldest of three universities in the English city of Birmingham. ... Ceremony is a song written by Ian Curtis, vocalist in the band Joy Division. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Still is a compilation album by Joy Division, consisting of rare songs along with a recording of their last ever performance which took place at High Hall Birmingham University on 2 May 1980. ...

In the early hours of Sunday, 18 May 1980, in his kitchen after having viewed Werner Herzog's film Stroszek and listening to Iggy Pop's The Idiot, Curtis hanged himself. Many rumours surround the possible reasons for his suicide, with his poor health (due to the drugs he was having to take for his epilepsy, an exhausting performing schedule and related epilepsy problems) and failed marriage most often suggested. He was 23 years old. is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Werner Herzog (born Werner Stipetić on September 5, 1942) is a critically and internationally acclaimed German film director, screenwriter, actor, and opera director. ... Stroszek is a 1977 film by German director Werner Herzog. ... James Newell Osterberg, Jr. ... The Idiot is a 1977 album by Iggy Pop, his debut as a solo artist. ...

Tony Wilson speaking about the death said, "I'd been warned on a train to London two weeks earlier by Annik [Honoré, Curtis' lover]. I asked her, 'What do you think of the new album.' She goes, 'I'm terrified.' I said, 'What are you terrified of?' She replies, 'Don't you understand? He means it.' And I go, 'No, he doesn't mean it; it's art.' And guess what, he fucking meant it."^[1] Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC. Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson, was the music mogul behind some of Manchesters most successful bands. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Curtis was cremated, and his ashes were buried in Macclesfield Cemetery.^[2] The inscription on his memorial stone, "Love Will Tear Us Apart", was chosen by Deborah Curtis, and is a reference to the Joy Division song. The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, England. ... Love Will Tear Us Apart Original single sleeve Love Will Tear Us Apart is the best known song by the band Joy Division. ... Deborah Curtis is the widow of Joy Divisions singer and lyricist, Ian Curtis, who committed suicide in 1980. ...

Legacy

The remaining members of Joy Division formed the immensely successful New Order following Curtis's death. The band had agreed to not go on as Joy Division if any of the members left for whatever reason. Their first album, Movement, featured a song called "I.C.B.", which stands for "Ian Curtis Buried". This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Movement was New Orders debut album, released in November 1981 on Factory Records. ...

U2 released the song "A Day Without Me", about Curtis' suicide, as the lead single from their 1980 debut album Boy. An oft-repeated anecdote by Tony Wilson is that when U2 visited Factory Records, U2 frontman Bono said when Curtis was alive he was the best frontman in rock and he himself was only number two; Bono pledged to take Curtis' place. This article is about the Irish rock band. ... A Day Without Me was the first single from U2s debut album Boy and was released in August 1980. ... Alternate cover U.S. and Canada cover Singles from Boy Released: August 1980 Released: October 1981 Boy is the debut album from Irish rock band U2, released in 1980. ... For other uses, see Bono (disambiguation). ...

Other musical tributes to Curtis include Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Statues" on 1980's Organisation, Psychic TV's single "I.C. Water" from Towards Thee Infinite Beat, Thursday's "Ian Curtis" on the album Waiting, and New Order's own "Elegia". Robert Smith of The Cure would dedicate his song "Primary" to Curtis. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (often abbreviated to OMD) are a synth pop group whose founder members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, UK. OMD record for Virgin Records (originally for Virgins DinDisc subsidiary). ... Organisation is an album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1980. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... I.C. Water is a single by Psychic TV. The song I.C. Water is dedicated to Ian Curtis (I.C.). // Drums - Matthew Best Guitar - Fred Giannelli Keyboards - Daniel Black Tape - Mistress Mix Voice - Genesis P-Orridge Side A I.C. Water (Radio Version) Written by - Fred Gianelli, Genesis P... Towards Thee Infinite Beat is an album by Psychic TV. It was followed by the remix album Beyond Thee Infinite Beat. ... Thursday is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey that has released four full-length albums. ... Robert Smith, Bob Smith or Bobby Smith may refer to: // Robert Barr Smith (1824–1915), Australian businessman and philanthropist Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland business school Robert William Smith (1986), British Financial Economist specialising in Wealth and Asset Management and Skydiving. ... This article is about the band. ...

Deborah Curtis wrote Touching from a Distance, published in 1995, a biographical account of their marriage, detailing in part his infidelity, particularly with Annik Honoré. Authors Mick Middles and Linsay Reade released the book Torn Apart: The Life of Ian Curtis in 2006. This biography takes a more intimate look at Ian Curtis and includes photographs from personal family albums and excerpts from Curtis's letters to Honoré during his affair with her. Touching From A Distance is a memoir written by Deborah Curtis. ... Look up infidelity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Control, a film about Curtis' life based on Touching from a Distance, was released in 2007. Curtis is also a character in the film 24 Hour Party People. The Killers covered the song "Shadowplay" (from the album Unknown Pleasures) for the film. Control is a black and white biopic about the late Ian Curtis (1956-1980), lead singer of the post-punk rock band Joy Division. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Killers may mean: The Killers (short story), a 1927 short story by Ernest Hemingway The Killers (band), an alternative rock band from Las Vegas formed in 2002 The Killers (1946 film), a film adaptation of the story starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner The Killers (1958 film), a film...

Artist Glenn Brown painted Exercise One (for Ian Curtis) (1995) and Dark Angel (for Ian Curtis) (2002), inspired by the singer and appropriating the paintings of Chris Foss. Glenn Brown is a British artist and painter who was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2000. ... Christopher Foss (born 1946) is a British illustrator and science fiction artist, best known for his science fiction book covers and the illustrations for the original editions of The Joy of Sex. ...

A wall on Wallace Street in Wellington, New Zealand, had the words "Ian Curtis Lives" written on it shortly after the singer's death. The message is repainted whenever it is painted over, and another wall on the same street now bears the legend "Ian Curtis R.I.P. Walk In Silence" along with the dates "1960 - 1981" (sic). Both are referred to as "The Ian Curtis Wall". For the first Duke of Wellington, see Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ...

Manchester United fans sing "Giggs will tear you apart" to the tune of "Love Will Tear Us Apart", but according to Peter Hook, "Ian was a Manchester City fan." Manchester Uniteds emblem Manchester United F.C. (often abbreviated to Man United or just Man U, pronounced man-yoo) is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ... Ryan Joseph Giggs (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Cardiff) is a Welsh football player. ... Manchester City F.C. is a football club based in Manchester, United Kingdom. ...

Film portrayals

• Curtis was portrayed by Sean Harris in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, which dramatized the rise and fall of Factory Records from the 1970s to the 1990s.
• In 2007 a British Ian Curtis biopic called Control, based on material from Deborah Curtis's book Touching from a Distance was released. It was directed by rock photographer Anton Corbijn, perhaps best known for the videos he directed for Depeche Mode, U2, and The Killers. Deborah Curtis and former Factory Records head Anthony Wilson were executive producers. Relatively unknown actor Sam Riley, the lead singer of band 10000 Things, portrays Curtis, while Samantha Morton plays his wife, Deborah. The film had its debut at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2007 to great acclaim, taking three awards at the Director's Fortnight. It portrays Curtis's secondary school romance with Deborah, their marriage at a young age, his struggle to balance his domestic life against his rise to fame with Joy Division, and his struggle with poorly medicated epilepsy and depression.^[3]

Sean Harris is a British actor. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the... A biographical film or biopic is a film about a particular person or group of people, based on events that actually happened. ... Control is a black and white biopic about the late Ian Curtis (1956-1980), lead singer of the post-punk rock band Joy Division. ... Anton Corbijn (pronounced ) (born May 20, 1955) is a photographer from Strijen, the Netherlands. ... Depeche Mode (pronounced ) are an electronic music group formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex, England. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... The Killers are an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, most famous for their hit singles Somebody Told Me, Mr. ... Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC. Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson, was the music mogul behind some of Manchesters most successful bands. ... Sam Riley (born 8 January 1980 - Leeds) is a British actor who will play the lead role of Ian Curtis in the upcoming movie, Control, a biopic about the tragic but genius lead singer of the 1970s post-punk band Joy Division, who committed suicide on the eve of... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1939, is one of the worlds oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. ... Directors Fortnight (French: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. ...

References

HTTP (for HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the primary method used to convey information on the World Wide Web. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Middles, Mick and Reade, Lindsay (2006). Torn Apart: The Life Of Ian Curtis. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-826-3.
• Curtis, Deborah (1995). Touching from a Distance - Ian Curtis and Joy Division. Faber and Faber Limited. ISBN 0-571-17445-0.
• Heylin, Clinton and Wood, Craig (1988). Joy Division: Form (and Substance). Sound Pub. ISBN 1-871407-00-1.
• Middles, Mick (1996). From Joy Division to New Order. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0638-6.
• Edge, Brian (1984). Pleasures and Wayward Distractions. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-1439-7
• Johnson, Mark (1984). An Ideal For Living. An History of Joy Division. Proteus Books. ISBN 0-7119-1065-0

External links

• Ian Curtis and Joy Division Fans Club - for those who love the man and his band
• Ian Curtis biography at Joy Division Central
• Ian Curtis's Macclesfield - a site for anyone visiting his home town
• Ian Curtis biography
• Genesis P-Orridge - Remembrances of Ian Curtis of "Joy Division"