Gary Glitter Musician Biography

Gary Glitter Bio

Gary Glitter Biography
English rocker Gary Glitter was a pivotal part of the glam rock revolution. He forever left his mark on the world of music with the rock anthem “Rock and Roll Part Two.” But it was his subsequent arrests for sexual deviance for which he remains most known.
Paul Francis Gadd, known popularly as Gary Glitter, was born May 8, 1944 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. His mother was a cleaner, while his father was never part of the picture. Glitter was also raised with the help of his maternal grandmother. But Glitter displayed problems from the beginning.

At just ten years old, Glitter was taken into authority care. Through that program, Glitter attended a Roman Catholic school despite his Protestant roots. But yet again, Glitter proved difficult to control. Often sneaking out, he found solace in the London club scene. More than just rebellion, Glitter was drawn to the music scene, and by twelve, he was already a regular performer.

Eventually catching the eye of Robert Hartford Davis, Glitter received the financing to release his first album. He was fourteen years old. In 1960, under the name Paul Raven, Glitter released his debut single entitled Alone in the Night. Changing management, Glitter teamed up with producer George Martin. While Glitter’s career stalled under Martin’s care, Martin’s other band, a little known outfit called The Beatles, exploded to superstardom.

It would take Mike Leander to reintroduce Glitter to the music world. In the early 1970s, he released a few singles including the George Harrison ballad Here Comes the Sun. By 1971, however, glam rock had arrived in a big way, and Glitter officially adopted his current stage name, Gary Glitter and his famous glitzy stage persona. <p>His first big single was a jam session released as Rock and Roll, Parts One and Two. Both parts reached international acclaim, and to this day, Part Two can still be heard at various sporting events and rallies. Glitter subsequently released singles such as I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am) and Remember Me This Way. Releasing hit after hit with The Glitter Band, Glitter’s dominance of the charts rivaled fellow glam rockers T Rex, Slade, and Sweet.

With the glam movement slowing down, however, Glitter’s career stalled.

By 1976, he officially retired from music. With the end of his career, Glitter reportedly began drinking and later admitted to suicidal thoughts. He had a comeback, though, with post-punk music listeners, and he found himself frequently appearing in college venues. The 1980s also brought lucrative collaborations including work with Tina Turner and Sandie Shaw. Oasis even sampled Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again for their award-winning (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

In his personal life, Glitter, by then nineteen, married Ann Murton. They had one son and one daughter before divorcing in 1972. In 2001, he had another son with Yudenia Sosa Martinez. After a successful music career, his life was overshadowed by scandal. In 1997, Glitter was arrested for possession of child pornography. Convicted in 1999, Glitter officially became a sex offender, and he served a two month jail sentence. In 2005, he was once again arrested.

This time around it was for the molestation of two underage Vietnamese girls. He was sentenced to three years prison time and released on August 19, 2008.

After being denied entry into several countries, including Hong Kong, Glitter returned to England on August 22, 2008.