Ian Curtis

Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was best known as the lead singer, lyricist and sometime guitarist of the post-punk band Joy Division, with whom he released the albums Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980). He was noted for his dark baritone voice, unique dancing style, and unique songwriting that was typically filled with vivid imagery. Curtis had epilepsy and depression and died by suicide on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour, shortly before the release of Closer. Shortly after his death, the three surviving members of the band renamed themselves New Order. Despite their short career, Joy Division have exerted a wide-reaching influence. John Bush of AllMusic argues that they "became the first band in the post-punk movement [by] emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s".[1] According to critic Simon Reynolds, Joy Division's influence has extended from contemporaries such as U2 and the Cure to later acts including Interpol, Bloc Party, Fontaines D.C., and Editors, as well as rappers including Danny Brown and Vince Staples