Poly Styrene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Poly Styrene |
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Styrene in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marianne Joan Elliott-Said |
| Born | 3 July 1957 Bromley, England |
| Died | 25 April 2011 (aged 53) Sussex, England |
| Genres | Punk rock, new wave, downtempo |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, songwriter |
| Years active | 1976–2011 |
| Labels | Universal, EMI/Virgin, Future Noise Music |
| Associated acts | X-Ray Spex |
Marianne Joan Elliott-Said (born July 3, 1957 – died April 25, 2011) was an English musician. She was best known by her stage name, Poly Styrene. She was the lead singer and songwriter for the punk rock band X-Ray Spex.
Contents
Early Life and Adventures
Poly Styrene, whose real name was Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, was born in 1957 in Bromley, England. She grew up in Brixton, London. Her mother, who raised her alone, was a Scottish-Irish legal secretary. Her father was a dock worker from Somalia.
As a teenager, Poly Styrene was a "hippie." This was a person who believed in peace, love, and living freely. When she was 15, she left home with only a small amount of money. She traveled by hitchhiking to different music festivals. She stayed in "crash pads," which were places where hippies could stay for free. Her adventure ended when she stepped on a rusty nail and got a serious infection called sepsis.
After trying different things like designing clothes and singing reggae music, she saw the band Sex Pistols play in 1976. She was 19 years old. This show inspired her to form her own punk band, X-Ray Spex.
Music Career Highlights
First Songs and Early Recordings
Poly Styrene made her first demo album in 1975 when she was 18. A demo album is a recording made to show off an artist's music.
In 1976, she released her first single under her real name, Mari Elliott. A single is a song released on its own, usually with another song on the "B-side." Her song was called "Silly Billy" and was a reggae track with some ska influences. She also helped write the B-side song, "What a Way."
Forming X-Ray Spex
After seeing the Sex Pistols play, Poly Styrene put an ad in music papers. She was looking for "young punx who want to stick it together" to form a band. From this, X-Ray Spex was created, and she became their singer. She chose the name Poly Styrene from the Yellow Pages, looking for a "plastic" name that fit the times.
She was seen as a very unique and important figure in music. She wore dental braces and bright, colorful clothes. She was also of mixed race. She stood out because she was different from the typical female singers of the 1970s. The band released their first single in 1977.
In 1978, after a concert, Poly Styrene had a strange experience. She saw a pink light and felt things crackle when she touched them. She was taken to the hospital and wrongly told she had a serious mental health condition. Later, in 1991, she was correctly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is a condition that affects a person's mood.
Solo Music Journey
After X-Ray Spex broke up in 1979, Poly Styrene started a solo career. She released her first solo album, Translucence, in 1980. This album had a quieter, more jazzy sound, different from the loud guitars of X-Ray Spex.
She continued to make music over the years. In 1986, she released an EP called God's & Godesses. An EP is a shorter music release than an album. In 2004, she released another solo album, Flower Aeroplane.
In 2007, Poly Styrene was invited to a music festival. This led to a special 30-year celebration of X-Ray Spex's first album, Germfree Adolescents. They held a sold-out concert in London in 2008. A live album and DVD of this show were released later.
She also performed at the 30th anniversary concert for Rock Against Racism in 2008. She also sang with the band Goldblade on a remix of their song "City of Christmas Ghosts."
In 2010, it was announced that Poly Styrene would release a new solo album called Generation Indigo. This album came out in March 2011. She released a free song called "Black Christmas" before the album. The first single from the album was "Virtual Boyfriend." Generation Indigo received great reviews from music critics. It was released in the US on April 24, 2011, just one day before she passed away.
Her singing style was described as "a bold, keen yelp" and "fierce but fiercely feminine." This means her voice was strong and unique.
The famous band U2 honored Poly Styrene in 2017 during a video tribute to important women. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine listed her as one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Personal Life
In 1983, Poly Styrene became part of the Hare Krishna movement. This is a religious movement based on ancient Indian teachings. She lived as a Hare Krishna follower for several years. She was also a vegetarian, meaning she did not eat meat.
In 1995, her music work was paused when she broke her pelvis after being hit by a fire engine.
She had a daughter named Celeste Bell-Dos Santos. Poly Styrene lived alone in St Leonards, East Sussex.
Death
Poly Styrene died on April 25, 2011, at the age of 53. She passed away from metastatic breast cancer, which is a type of cancer that spreads from the breast to other parts of the body.
Documentary and Biography
After her death, a book about Poly Styrene's life was written by Zoë Howe and her daughter, Celeste Bell. The book, called Day Glo: The Poly Styrene Story, was published in 2018.
In 2021, a documentary film about her life was released. It was called Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché. The film was first paid for by many small donations from people (this is called crowd-funded). Later, it received investment from Sky Arts. Her daughter, Celeste Bell, helped write and direct the film. The documentary came out around the 40th anniversary of X-Ray Spex's first album. Celeste Bell said the film was "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."
Solo Discography
Albums
- Translucence (United Artists, 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, 1976)
- "Talk in Toytown"/"Sub Tropical" (United Artists, 1980)
- "City of Christmas Ghosts" – Goldblade featuring Poly Styrene (Damaged Goods, 2008)
- "Black Christmas" (2010)
- "Virtual Boyfriend" (2011)
- "Ghoulish" (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Poly Styrene para niños
