RIP Joe Strummer

[Kimberly Thompson <lomara@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Apologies to all if someone has already posted this.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2600669.stm


Monday, 23 December, 2002, 10:02 GMT
Clash star Strummer dies

The Clash were one of the figureheads of The Punk movement

Joe Strummer, the leader of legendary Seventies punk band The Clash, has
died, aged 50.

A spokesman for Strummer confirmed to BBC News Online that the singer
died on Sunday.

A posting on the artist's website on Monday reads: "Joe Strummer died
yesterday. Our condolences to Luce and the kids, family and friends."

Strummer became a rock legend in the late 70s when he fronted The Clash,
the politically-aware punk group from west London.

The band were anti-racist and became noted for inflammatory, intelligent
punk songs such as London's Calling, White Riot, White Man In
Hammersmith Palais and Tommy Gun.

Along with the Sex Pistols, they were the figureheads of the punk scene
that put London on the map as the centre of the musical world in the
late Seventies.

The band, who also boasted Mick Jones, Topper Headon and Paul Simonon,
became huge stars in the US.

In 1982 they supported The Who at Shea Stadium, the US venue made famous
by The Beatles.

Their 1982 song Should I Stay Or Should I Go was their biggest US hit,
and was posthumously used in an ad for jeans manufacturer Levi's.

Rolling Stone voted London's Calling, their classic 1980 album (released
in 1979 in the UK) as the best albums of the 80s.

Strummer led the band until 1986, after sacking Mick Jones

In the last few years Strummer forged another successful career with his
band The Mescaleros, touring around the world and releasing two albums -
Rock Art And The X Ray Style in 1999, and 2001's Global A Go-Go.

He also played with The Pogues and featured in several films, including
Alex Cox's Walker and Straight To Hell.

He leaves a wife and family.