by Will Birch
‘Clevor Trever’ (Dury / Jankel). Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
‘Blockheads’ (Dury / Jankel). Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
‘Plaistow Patricia’ (Dury / Nugent). Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
‘I Want to Be Straight’ (Dury / Gallagher). Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
‘Sueperman’s Big Sister’ (Dury / Johnson). Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
‘Sister Slow’ (Dury /Jankel). Warner Chappell Music Ltd / Heathwave Music Ltd.
‘Peter the Painter’ (Dury / McEvoy). Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
Picture Acknowledgements
Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of photographs reproduced in this book. If any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make restitution at the earliest opportunity.
Page 1: ‘Bill and Peggy Dury (with Bella the sheepdog) at Weald Rise, Harrow, 1940’ and ‘Little Lord Upminster’ courtesy of Jemima Dury. ‘On the Beach’, and ‘King of the Hill’, courtesy of Barry Anderson.
Page 2: All photographs courtesy of Margaret Webb.
Page 3: ‘At the pantomime, 1953’ and ‘Elvis has landed’ courtesy of Jemima Dury. ‘The new boy’, courtesy of Margaret Webb.
Page 4: ‘Roaming radicals, Newquay 1960’ courtesy of Pat Carson. ‘The “college” boy’ and ‘We’re arts and crafts’ courtesy of Jemima Dury.
Page 5: ‘Ian’s poster for Kilburn and the High Roads, 1972’, photographs © the Mick Hill Collection, lettering and layout Ian Dury. ‘Early Kilburns, 1972’ © Ed Baxter.
Page 6: ‘Humphrey steps out of line; Ian glowers, 1973’ © the Mick Hill Collection. ‘Gentle, disciplined, self-contained’ courtesy of Jemima Dury.
Page 7: All photographs © Alain Le Kim.
Page 8: ‘Stiff’s stable of stars, 1977’ © Chris Gabrin, ‘Ian summons the muse; Gene Vincent hovers’ ©Jill Furmanovsky/rockarchive.com.
Page 9: ‘Limousine intererior, New York City, 1978’ © Waring Abbot/ Alamy ‘Quiet Reflection’ © Kees Bakker. ‘A Little Bit of Tommy Cooper’ © Pennie Smith.
Page 10: All photographs © Chris Gabrin.
Page 11: All photographs © Tom Sheehan.
Page 12: ‘He ain’t heavy’ © Jorgen Angel/Redferns. ‘With “Magic” Mike McEvoy’ courtesy Jenny Cotton. ‘Barney told me I’d been a horrible piece of work’ © Bob Bromide. ‘The dramas going on backstage were better than the show’ © Kees Bakker.
Page 13: ‘A welcome deflection of attention’ courtesy of Belinda Leith, © Alan Mercer. ‘They want me to have a cigar’ © Everett Collection/Rex Features. ‘Peggy, so proud of Ian’ © Kees Bakker.
Page 14: All photographs courtesy of Sophy Dury.
Page 15: ‘UNICEF special representatives, 1998’ courtesy of Sophy Dury. ‘Jemima and Ian Shepherds Bush Empire, 1999’, courtesy of Jemima Dury. ‘Magnificent to the end’ © Kees Bakker.
Page 16: ‘We’re gonna have it proper’ and ‘You’re the Why’ © Kees Bakker. ‘The author interrogates Molly Walker’ © Chris Gabrin.
Index
ID indicates Ian Dury.
After Midnight (film) ref1, ref2
‘Age of Steam’ ref1
Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias ref1
Allott, Serena ref1
And the Ship Sails On (film) ref1
Anderson, Barry ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13
Apples (stage musical) ref1, ref2, ref3
Arcade Records ref1
Arista Records ref1, ref2, ref3
Armstrong, Alison ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Armstrong, Louis ref1, ref2
Ashton, Tony ref1, ref2
Atzmon, Gilad ref1
Ayler, Albert ref1, ref2
Babb, Paul ref1
‘Back To Blighty’ ref1
Bagenel, Philip ref1
Baker, Ginger ref1, ref2
Bakker, Kees ref1
‘Band Called the Tights, A’ ref1
Barbados ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Barber, Chris ref1
Barclay Records ref1
Barclay, Eddie ref1, ref2
Barnfield College, Luton ref1
Barson, Mike ref1
Bayley, Roberta ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19
Bearskin – An Urban Fairytale (film) ref1
Beat Era ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Beatles, the ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Bedford, Mark ref1
Bennett, Tony ref1
Berry, Chuck ref1, ref2, ref3
Better Read, A, (TV programme) ref1
Bexley, Jo ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
‘Billericay Dickie’ ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
‘Bill Haley’s Last Words’ ref1
‘Billy Bentley’ (Promenades Himself in London) ref1, ref2
Black Cat Combo ref1, ref2, ref3
Blackboard Jungle (film) ref1
Blackhill Music Publishing ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16
‘Blackmail Man’ ref1, ref2, ref3
Blake, Peter ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24
Blight, Elizabeth ref1
Bliss, Diana ref1
‘Blockheads’ ref1, ref2, ref3
Blockheads, The see Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Blondie ref1
Blow, Kurtis ref1
Bolan, Marc ref1
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band ref1
Boudouris, Vassilis ref1
Bowie, David ref1, ref2
Bragg, Melvyn ref1, ref2
Brando, Marlon ref1
Briers, Richard ref1
Brilleaux, Lee ref1
Brinsley Schwarz ref1, ref2, ref3
‘Broken Skin’ ref1
Brome, Richard ref1
Brookfield House School, Waltham Forest ref1
Brown, ‘Little’ Chris ref1
Brown, Arthur ref1
Brown, Glyn ref1
Brown, James ref1
Bruce, Jack ref1
Bruce, Lenny ref1
Bubbles, Barney ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Bura, Paul ref1
Burning Beds (film) ref1, ref2
Burroughs, William ref1
Burton, Richard ref1
Bus Driver’s Prayer (Ian Dury) ref1, ref2
‘Bus Driver’s Prayer’ ref1
Busby, William ref1
Butler, George ref1
‘Bye Bye Dublin’ ref1
Byzantium ref1
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) ref1
CancerBACUP ref1, ref2
Cang, Joe ref1, ref2, ref3
Canterbury College of Art ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
Carroll, Ronnie ref1, ref2
Cartwright, Jim ref1
Castle, Geoff ref1, ref2, ref3
Cats ref1
Cattermole, Maurice ref1
CBS ref1, ref2, ref3
Celentano, Adrian ref1
Chailey Heritage Craft School ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Chappell Music ref1
Charisma Artists ref1
Charles, Hugh ‘Charley’ ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13
Charles, Ray ref1
Cheltenham Festival of Literature ref1
Cherry, Don ref1, ref2
Cherry, Neneh ref1
‘Christopher True’ ref1
Churchill, Caryl ref1
Claridge, Michael ref1
Clarke, Andrew ref1
Clash, the ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
‘Clevor Trevor’ ref1, ref2, ref3
Cochran, Eddie ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, r
ef5
Cole, Martin ‘Smart Mart’ ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Coleman, Ornette ref1, ref2, ref3
Collin, Celia ref1
Collins, Bootsy ref1
Collis, John ref1
Colson, Glen ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
‘Come and Find Me’ ref1
Conroy, Paul ref1, ref2, ref3
Cook, Peter ref1
Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, The (film) ref1
Cool Cats – 25 Years of Rock ‘n’ Roll Style (book) ref1
Cornwell, Hugh ref1
Costello, Elvis ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Cotton and Carruthers ref1, ref2
Cotton, Jenny ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Country Wife, The (play) ref1, ref2
Coward, Noël ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
‘Crippled with Nerves’ ref1, ref2, ref3
Crosbie, Annette ref1
Crow: City of Angels, The (film) ref1
Croydon School of Art ref1
Culverhouse Secondary Modern School for Boys, South Ockendon ref1, ref2
Cuming, Fred ref1
Curd, John ref1, ref2
Curtis, Simon ref1
Curtis, Tony ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Dadomo, Giovanni ref1
Daltrey, Roger ref1
Daly, Willie ref1
‘Dance of the Crackpots’ ref1
Davies, Clive ref1, ref2
Davies, Jennifer ref1
Davis, Alan ‘Taffy’ ref1
Davis, Clive ref1, ref2
Dawes, John ‘Jack’ ref1
Dawn Records ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Day, Terry ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18
Deedes, Lord Bill ref1
Demon Records ref1
Derek and Clive ref1, ref2
Desert Island Discs, (radio programme) ref1, ref2
Deus Ex Machina (computer game) ref1
‘Dick the Dancing Durex’ ref1
Dickins, Rob ref1
Die Stimme (film) ref1
Dionisiev, George ref1, ref2
Dobson, Jo ref1
Dogg’s Troupe 15-Minute Hamlet (play) ref1
Do It Yourself (Ian Dury and the Blockheads) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Dolan, Genevieve ref1
Dolan, Germaine ref1, ref2, ref3
‘Don’t Ask Me’ ref1
Donegan, Lonnie ref1, ref2
Donnelly, Frances ref1
Dorchester, The ref1
Dors, Diana ref1
Dr Feelgood ref1, ref2, ref3
Dr Hook ref1
‘Drip Fed Fred’ (Madness) ref1
‘Duff ‘em Up and Do ‘em Over Boogie’ ref1
Dunbar, Sly ref1
Dury, Albert (son) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Dury, Baxter (son) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24
Dury, Bill (son) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Dury (née Rathmell), Elizabeth ‘Betty’ (first wife) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34
DURY, IAN
accent ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
acting ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
addiction to sleeping pills ref1
adoration/attention, craves ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
alcohol and ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19
ambition ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
America, attitudes towards ref1, ref2
appearance/style ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33
arrested ref1
art college ref1, ref2, see also under individual art college name
autobiography, aborted ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
awards ref1
bands/groups, early ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
bands see Kilburn and the High Roads; Ian Dury and the Kilburns; Ian Dury and the Blockheads and Ian Dury and the Music Students
Barbados, holidays in ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
behaviour, bad ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31
birth ref1
Bohemian ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
cancer ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
celebrity ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15
childhood ref1, ref2, ref3
Cockney ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17
competitive ref1, ref2, ref3
crime, interest in ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13
death ref1, ref2
depression ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
disability ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31
disabled, work with ref1, ref2
discography ref1
drug taking ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
drums, plays ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
family/lineage ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, see also under individual family member name
fans and ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
finances ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38
funeral ref1
health ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
homes ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38, ref39, ref40, ref41, ref42, ref43, ref44, ref45, ref46, ref47, ref48, ref49, ref50, ref51, ref52, ref53, ref54, ref55, ref56, ref57, ref58, ref59, ref60, ref61, ref62, ref63, ref64, ref65, ref66, ref67, ref68, ref69, ref70, ref71, ref72, ref73, ref74, ref75, ref76, ref77, ref78, ref79, ref80, ref81, ref82
humour ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14
identity, split ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
illustrator ref1, ref2, ref3
insecurity/self-doubt ref1, ref2, ref3
jazz, love of ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
letter writing ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13
libretto writing ref1
love/sex life ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, ref36, ref37, ref38, ref39, ref40, ref41, ref42, ref43, see also marriage
management ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, see also under individual management company and manager name
manipulative powers ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8,
ref9
marriage, first ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18
marriage, second ref1
minders see Rowe, Fred ‘Spider’ and Rush, Pete ‘The Sulphate Strangler’
mood swings see behaviour, bad
musical ability, lack of ref1, ref2, ref3
musical influences ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18
name ref1, ref2
nicknames and aliases ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
painting ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17
performer ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
persona, public ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
photography ref1, ref2
poet ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
polio ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19
portrait of ref1
press ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24
pub rock, opinion of ref1
publishing, music ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
radio appearances ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
reading ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
record contracts ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16
schooldays ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, see also under individual school name
singing/vocal style ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
as a solo act ref1
songwriting process ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32, ref33, ref34, ref35, see also under individual album and song title
stage musicals ref1, ref2
stage persona ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
stardom, dreams of ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
storyteller ref1, ref2
street credibility ref1
style ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30, ref31, ref32
teaching career ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7