Siouxsie Sioux

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Siouxsie Sioux, born Susan Janet Ballion, is an English singer and songwriter, born in 1957. She grew up in Chislehurst in Kent, the youngest in a family that did not fit in with the neighbourhood. Her father, who came from Wallonia, was a bacteriologist and died when she was fourteen. In hospital in 1972 she saw David Bowie on Top of the Pops. In 1976 she stood on stage with Siouxsie and the Banshees at the first 100 Club Punk Special in London.

Music and breakthrough

She became known as the singer and lyricist of that band, which released eleven studio albums from 1978 to 1995. Hits in the United Kingdom were Hong Kong Garden in 1978, Happy House in 1980 and Peek-a-Boo in 1988. In 1991 Kiss Them for Me reached the American Billboard Hot 100. In 1981 she founded the Creatures, with whom she made four albums and in 1983 had the hit Right Now. As a solo artist she released Mantaray in 2007.

Influence

AllMusic called her one of the most influential British singers of the rock era. Jeff Buckley, Tricky and LCD Soundsystem covered her songs, and Massive Attack and The Weeknd used parts of them. In 2011 she received a Q Award and in 2012 the Inspiration Award at the Ivor Novello Awards. She showed that punk could make room for singing and theatre.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2007Mantaray