The very sad news from London is that former X-Ray Spex singer Poly Styrene has died of cancer.
Among the first to pay tribute is Boy George who tweets: “Oh bless you Poly, you will be missed. Legend!”
One of the heroines of the ’76 punk uprising, Styrene – real name Marianne Elliott-Said – was responsible for such proto-riot grrrl anthems as ‘Oh Bondage Up Yours’, ‘Identity’, ‘I Am A Cliché’ and ‘Germ Free Adolescents’.
X-Ray-Spex’s arguably greatest moment was on April 30 1978 when they appeared on the same Rock Against Racism carnival bill in London as Steel Pulse, Generation X, Tom Robinson Band and The Clash who were great admirers.
Despite her illness the 53-year-old pressed ahead with the recent release of Generation Indigo, her second solo album, which is playing on the HP dansette right now.