Stiv Bators
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stiv Bators | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Steven John Bator |
| Born | October 22, 1949 Youngstown, Ohio |
| Died | June 2, 1990 (aged 40) Paris, France |
| Genre(s) | Punk rock, gothic rock, post-punk, |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, composer, actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1974 – 1990 |
| Label(s) | Bomp!, Sire |
| Associated acts | The Stooges MC5 |
Steven John Bator, known as Stiv Bators (October 22, 1949 – June 2, 1990), was an American rock and roll and punk rock vocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.
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[edit] Music and film career
In the course of his career, Bators was involved with a variety of bands beyond those for which he was best known. These short-term bands included Rocket From The Tombs, Frankenstein, The Wanderers and The Whores of Babylon (with Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Thunders). He also recorded as a solo artist with Bomp! Records.
It was as the lead singer and driving force of the Dead Boys, however, that Bators helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude. Bators and the Dead Boys were featured in the independent punk rock films Punking Out (1978), Live at CBGB's (1977) and Crash 'n' Burn (1977). Around the same time, the band became a popular staple at CBGB's, the now-legendary music club in New York City's East Village.
Following the demise of the Dead Boys in 1979, Bators began a tumultuous relationship with Bomp! Records and its president, Greg Shaw. According to Shaw: "[W]hat he craved most was to escape the fetters of his Dead Boy image and win respect as a singer of contemporary pop rock. . . . In other words, he wanted to be 'the thinking punk's Eric Carmen.'"[1] To this end, and usually with first-wave punk rock veterans in tow, he recorded several singles (many of which were unreleased) and a fine LP, Disconnected, which was released in 1980. A retrospective album released in 1994, L.A. L.A. documented Bators' efforts as a pop-punk singer.
After England's Sham 69 broke up, Bators, now re-located in London, formed the Wanderers with members of the band by the end of the year. This under-appreciated band came up with an anomaly for punk rock, a concept album, called Only Lovers Left Alive (released in May 1981), along with two singles.
Bators formed The Lords of the New Church later in 1981 with Brian James of The Damned and Dave Tregunna of Sham 69. (Bators and Tregunna had also been in the Wanderers together). The Lords became notorious for their live shows. A devotee of Iggy Pop, Bator had developed a fearless reputation in his Dead Boys days and continued such antics with The Lords, the most famous being the time he reportedly hanged himself during a show. Bator's stunt went awry and he was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes. Nonetheless, Bator survived and The Lords recorded two more successful albums.
Later, the punk vocalist gained additional exposure through more mainstream film. In 1981, Bators co-starred in the satirical John Waters film, Polyester. Seven years later, Bators made a memorable cameo appearance as "Dick Slammer", lead singer of "The Blender Children", in the offbeat comedy, Tapeheads, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins.
The Lords of the New Church broke up in 1988 when Bators injured his back and guitarist Brian James secretly began advertising for a replacement singer. When Bators found out James played the encore of the band's final show donning a T-shirt with James' newspaper ad printed across the front, he then proceeded to fire the remaining members on-stage.
[edit] Personal life
In the late 1970s, Bators dated and lived with model / singer Bebe Buell, mother of the then infant Liv Tyler and temporarily set up home with the pair in Bangor, Maine. He subsequently moved to England and married an English woman, who ended up leaving him for members of Hanoi Rocks. Some years after their divorce he relocated to Paris, France where he met and was living with a woman until his death.
In 1981 Bators appearred at THE HOLY INQUISITION: CIRCUS OF THE PERVERSE THE RITZ, NEW YORK, NY, USA JANUARY 13, 1989 as part of a band that he called Lords of the Dead.
[edit] Death
In the summer of 1990, Bators, intoxicated, was struck by a taxi while crossing a street in Paris. He was taken to hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor after waiting several hours. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a concussion. Unsubstantiated reports claim that Bators, a fan of rock legend Jim Morrison, had earlier requested that his ashes be spread over Morrison's Paris grave and that his girlfriend complied.
However, in the director's commentary of the film "Polyester," in which Bators starred, John Waters, in relating Bators death, stated that Bator's girlfriend had snorted his ashes.
Ironically, Stiv was the only one of the 3 "Whores of Babylon" (and fellow heroin users) who didn't die from a heroin overdose. Both Johnny Thunders and Dee Dee Ramone died of a heroin overdose; Johnny in New Orleans, less than a year after Stiv, and Dee Dee, shortly after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
For 2 years running, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame appeared to be a jinx on the punk bands of the 70's and 80's. In 2001, after being announced they would be inducted into the RnRHoF, Joey Ramone died of cancer before the actual ceremony. The following year, Joe Strummer suffered the same fate, dying of a heart attack prior to the actual ceremony. It is rumored that the Sex Pistols declined being inducted out of Johnny Rotten's fear of becoming another statistic in the "being inducted into the RnRHOF and dying of cancer" club.
[edit] Tribute
Demolition 23 dedicated a song titled "Dead Time Stories" (written by Michael Monroe, formerly of Hanoi Rocks and Jude Wilder) to Bators on the band's 1994 album called Demolition 23. The lyrics of the song contain several references to Bators and his music.
[edit] Discography
[edit] With The Dead Boys
- LP's
- Young, Loud and Snotty - Sire Records 1977
- We Have Come for Your Children - Sire Records 1978
- Later Releases
- Night of the Living Dead Boys - Bomp! Records 1981
- The Return of the Living Dead Boys - Revenge 1987 (Import/France)
- Liver Than You'll Ever Be - Various Labels 1988 (Import/Various)
- Younger, Louder and Snottier - Bomp! 1997
- Twistin' on the Devil's Fork - Hell Yeah / Bacchus 1998
- All This and More - Bomp! 1998
- 3rd Generation Nation - Bad Boy Production 1999
- 7" Singles
- Sonic Reducer - Sire Records 1977
- Tell Me - Sire Records 1977
- Search and Destroy - Revenge 1977 (Import/France)
- Buried Gems - Cold Front 2000
- Paul Sherry goes Back - The Paul Sherry Sessions 2007
[edit] With Lords of the New Church
- Studio albums
- Live albums
- Scene of the Crime (1988)
- Live at the Spit (1988)
- Second Coming (1989)
- The Lord's Prayer II (2003)
- Singles
- Live for Today 12" (1983)
- Psycho Sex 12" (?)
- Like a Virgin 12" (1985)
- Dance With Me 12" (1987)
[edit] With the Wanderers
- Studio Albums
- Only Lovers Left Alive (Polydor Records; #POLS 1028); rel. May 1981
- Only Lovers Left Alive (Captain Oi Records reissue on CD; #AHOY CD 141) rel. 2000
- Singles
- "Ready to Snap" b/w "Beyond the Law" (Polydor Records; #POSP 239); rel. March 1981
- "The Times They Are A-Changin'" b/w "It's a Little Bit Frightening" (Polydor Records; #POSP 284); re. July 1981
[edit] Solo
- Albums
- 1980 - Disconnected
- 198? - The Lord and the New Creatures
- 1988 - Live at the Limelight
- 1992 - I Wanna Be a Dead Boy...
- 1994 - L.A. L.A.
- 1994 - Sonic Reducer - Les Genies Du Rock
- 1996 - The Last Race
- 2004 - L.A. Confidential
- Singles
- "The Last Year" b/w "It’s Cold Outside" (Bomp Records 7"; #45-125); rel. May 1979
- "Circumstantial Evidence" b/w "Not That Way Anymore" (Bomp Records 7"; #45-128); rel. Jan. 1980
- "Too Much To Dream" (12"); rel. 1980
- "Story In Your Eyes" b/w "Have Love Will Travel" (Bomp Records 12"; #45-12136); rel. fall 1986
- "Here’s A Heart" (12"), by Lyres with Stiv; rel. 1988
- "King of the Brats" (7"); rel. 1994
[edit] References
- ^ Liner notes, L.A. L.A. CD.
