Punk icon Poly Styrene, real name Marian Joan Elliot-Said, has lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 53 on Monday (April 25, 2011).
Her managers Terri and Mike Harris confirmed the news on the official X-Ray Spex site, saying “Poly Styrene has peacefully passed away in her sleep. Shortly before releasing her new solo album 'Generation Indigo' in March 2011 Poly was admitted to St Michael's Hospice, East Sussex, diagnosed with breast cancer. She will be sadly missed by her mother, daughter, friends and, not least, her fans.”
In 1976 after seeing an early Sex Pistols gig, Elliot-Said put an ad in the local paper searching for “young punx who want to stick it together”. The result was X-Ray Spex.
The band’s first single ‘Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” was a hugely influential punk smash. The band released one studio album ‘Germ Free Adolescents’ in 1978 before disbanding, though they released two more albums during two subsequent reformations.
Her most recent solo album, ‘Generation Indigo’, was released in March this year.
Check out X-Ray Spex, ‘Oh Bondage, Up Yours!’ below:
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