David Vanian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| David Vanian | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Letts |
| Born | 12 October 1956 |
| Origin | Hemel Hempstead, England |
| Genre(s) | Punk, gothic rock[1][2][3], rockabilly |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1976 - Current |
| Label(s) | Nitro Records |
| Associated acts | The Damned David Vanian & the Phantom Chords |
| Website | officialdamned.com |
David Vanian (born David Letts on 12 October 1956 in Hemel Hempstead, England) is a punk rock musician famous for being the lead singer of the punk band, The Damned. The band formed in 1976 in London and Vanian is the only ever-present member of the group. They are notable for being the first of the British punk bands to release a single, album and also tour the United States.
[edit] Career
Letts changed his name to Dave Vanian when he became a musician, having previously worked as a gravedigger. It is rumoured that when Captain Sensible asked whether Vanian could sing, Vanian responded "yes" but had never sung a note in his life.
He is famous for bringing the gothic image to pop culture world, due to his wearing its apparel both on-stage and off, although he does not personally make note of this. Indeed, his initial look was based on movie vampires: hence the stage name Vanian, which is supposed to suggest "Transylvanian". Notorious also for keeping his personal life out of the limelight, even opting out of any input towards The Damned bio-book The Light At The End Of The Tunnel by Carol Clerk, he also leads the rockabilly band David Vanian & the Phantom Chords. He is known to be interested in renaissance art, film noir and horror movies, which he speaks of as well as sings.
He married Patricia Morrison in 1996, the same year she joined The Damned, and lives in Harrow, north-west London. On February 9, 2004 Morrison gave birth to Emily Vanian at 8:20 p.m. weighing 8 pounds 4 ounces. Currently, Vanian hosts Dave Vanian's Dark Screen on the UK-based goth television channel Rockworld TV, where viewers get to send in their own self-made horror films in the hope of winning prizes.
In 2004, he and Captain Sensible turned on the Christmas lights in Cambridge, causing some controversy.[4]
[edit] External links
- The Damned (official site): Dave Vanian section
- Interview (while touring with the Phantom Chords), November 1993 (QuickTime Video)
[edit] References
- ^ The Damned at All Music Guide
- ^ The Damned @ Nostalgia Central
- ^ A Study of Gothic Subculture - What Is Gothic? - Origins of Gothic
- ^ BBC News Online - Church fury at Damned's switch-on
|
|||||||||||
 |
This biographical article about a British singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
