Straight From The Desk

Biography

Managed by Andrew King and Pete Jenner, Ian Dury and the Blockheads had several hit singles, including What a Waste, Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (which was a UK number one at the beginning of 1979, selling just short of a million copies), Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 (number three in the UK in 1979), and the rock and roll anthem Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, often credited with introducing the phrase to the language. Dury's lyrics are a unique combination of lyrical poetry, word play, observati...

Managed by Andrew King and Pete Jenner, Ian Dury and the Blockheads had several hit singles, including What a Waste, Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (which was a UK number one at the beginning of 1979, selling just short of a million copies), Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 (number three in the UK in 1979), and the rock and roll anthem Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, often credited with introducing the phrase to the language. Dury's lyrics are a unique combination of lyrical poetry, word play, observation of British everyday (working-class) life, acute character sketches, and vivid, earthy humour. This is what we find refers to how "Home improvement expert Harold Hill of Harold Hill ... Came home to find another gentleman's kippers in the grill, So he sanded off his winkle with his Black & Decker drill." The song Billericay Dickie continues this sexual content, rhyming "I had a love affair with Nina ... In the back of my [Ford] Cortina", and joking that "A seasoned-up hyena ... Could not have been more obscener".

The Blockheads' sound drew from their many musical influences - which included jazz, rock and roll, funk, and reggae - plus Dury's love of music hall. The band was formed after Dury began writing songs with pianist and guitarist Chaz Jankel. Jankel took Dury's lyrics, fashioned a number of songs, and they began recording with members of Radio Caroline's Loving Awareness Band, drummer Charley Charles, bassist Norman Watt-Roy, keyboard player Mickey Gallagher, guitarist John Turnbull, and the former Kilburns saxophonist Davey Payne. An album was completed, but major record labels passed on the band. However, next door to Dury's manager's office was the newly formed Stiff Records, a perfect home for Dury's maverick style. The classic single "Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll" marked Dury's Stiff debut and this was swiftly followed by the album New Boots and Panties!!, which was eventually to achieve platinum status.

It was known for some time before his death that Dury had cancer. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 1996 and underwent surgery, but tumours were later found in his liver, and he was told that his condition was terminal. In 1998, his death was incorrectly announced on XFM radio by Bob Geldof, possibly due to hoax information from a listener. Upon hearing of his illness Dury took the opportunity to marry his girlfriend, sculptor Sophy Tilson, with whom he had two children, Billy and Albert. In 1999, Dury collaborated with Madness on their first original album in 14 years on the track "Drip Fed Fred". Suggs and the band cite him as a great influence. It was to be one of his last recordings.

Ian Dury & The Blockheads' last performance was a charity concert in aid of Cancer Bacup on 6 February 2000 at The London Palladium, supported by Kirsty MacColl and Phill Jupitus. Dury was noticeably ill and had to be helped on and off stage.

Dury died of metastatic liver cancer on 27 March 2000. One of his obituaries read: "one of few true originals of the English music scene" (The Guardian). Meanwhile, he was described by Suggs, the singer with Madness, as "possibly the finest lyricist we've seen." The Ian Dury website opened an online book of condolence shortly after his death, which was signed by hundreds of fans. The 250 mourners at his funeral included fellow musicians Suggs and Jools Holland as well as "celebrity fans" such as Mo Mowlam.

The Blockheads still tour with Phill Jupitus Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.