Deborah Curtis
| Ian Curtis | |
|---|---|
Curtis performing live with Joy Division at the Mayflower in Manchester in 1979
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ian Kevin Curtis |
| Born |
15 July 1956 Stretford, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 18 May 1980 (aged 23) Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Post-punk |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1976–80 |
| Labels | Factory |
| Associated acts | Joy Division |
| Notable instruments | |
| Vox Phantom VI Special | |
Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980.
Curtis, who suffered from epilepsy and depression, took his own life on 18 May 1980, on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour, resulting in the band's dissolution and the subsequent formation of New Order. Curtis was known for his bass-baritone voice, dance style, and songwriting filled with imagery of desolation, war, emptiness and alienation.
Curtis was born on 15 July 1956, at the Memorial Hospital in Stretford, Lancashire. He grew up in Macclesfield in Cheshire, and from an early age he exhibited talent as a poet. He was awarded a scholarship at the age of 11 by the King's School, Macclesfield. Despite this, he was not a dedicated pupil and did not further his education beyond O-level.
Curtis was a shoplifter throughout his childhood. He had an interest in music in his teens but couldn't afford to purchase records, leading him to stealing albums from Macclesfield town centre, hiding them underneath a grey coat. He was also forced to do social service by visiting the elderly as part of a school scheme. While there, he would steal prescription drugs from residents and then take them with his friends. He once had his stomach pumped after taking too many.
After leaving high school, Curtis focused on the pursuit of art, literature and music. He was employed in a variety of jobs, including being a civil servant in Manchester and, later, Macclesfield.
On 23 August 1975, Curtis married a school friend, Deborah Woodruff at St Thomas' Church, Henbury. He was 19 and she was 18. Their daughter Natalie was born on 16 April 1979. She is a photographer.
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