Ian Curtis

Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 – May 18, 1980) was a singer-songwriter born in Manchester, England. Curtis grew up in Hurdsfield (on the outskirts of Macclesfield, England), but lived most of his adult life in Macclesfield and attended King's School, Macclesfield.

Life and death

While performing for Joy Division, Curtis developed a unique dancing style reminiscent of the epileptic seizures he experienced later in life. The resemblance was such that audience members were occasionally uncertain whether he was dancing or having a seizure. He sometimes collapsed and had to be helped off stage as his health suffered due to Joy Division's intense touring. His epilepsy was said to have inspired him to write the song "She's Lost Control."

Related Topics:
Epileptic seizures - Epilepsy - She's Lost Control

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Many of the songs he wrote were filled with images of emotional suffering, death, violence and urban degeneration. These recurring subjects led fans and Curtis' wife to believe he was singing about his own life. Curtis once commented in an interview that he wrote about "the different ways different people can cope with certain problems and how they can adapt." He also sang in an eerie baritone voice, which made him sound much older than he actually was.

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Curtis was greatly influenced by the writers William Burroughs and J G Ballard (the song titles "Interzone" and "Atrocity Exhibition" coming from the former and latter respectively), and by the singers Jim Morrison, Iggy Pop and David Bowie.

Related Topics:
William Burroughs - J G Ballard - Interzone - Jim Morrison - Iggy Pop - David Bowie

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Curtis's last live performance was held in the same month as his death and included Joy Division's first and last performance of the song "Ceremony", which was later used by New Order. The last song Curtis ever performed in front of an audience was "Digital".

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The effects of his epilepsy and personal problems, such as an impending divorce from his wife, Deborah Curtis, may have contributed to Curtis' suicide at the age of 23. The night Curtis died, days before Joy Division was to begin its first American tour, he watched one of his favourite movies, Stroszek by Werner Herzog. He later hanged himself in his kitchen while reportedly listening to Iggy Pop's The Idiot. Curtis' viewing and listening choices continue to generate speculation as to the true reasons why he took his life. Some commentators hold that he simply wished to die young, being "in love with the myth of the rock'n'roll star who dies young" http://www.smh.com.au/news/Music/Joy-Division-unknown-still/2005/05/10/1115584949463.html.

Related Topics:
Divorce - Deborah Curtis - Suicide - Stroszek - Werner Herzog - Iggy Pop - The Idiot

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Curtis was cremated and his ashes were buried in Macclesfield, with the inscription on his memorial stone reading, "Love Will Tear Us Apart." The epitaph, chosen by Deborah Curtis, is a reference to Joy Division's best-known song.

Related Topics:
Cremated - Best-known song

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