Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard on 3 November 1954) is an English musician, who gained popularity as the lead singer of 1980s New Wave/post-punk group Adam & the Ants and later as a solo artist. He is also an actor, having appeared in two dozen films or television episodes between 1985 and 1999.
Goddard, an only child, was born in Marylebone, London. One of the themes he used in his later work - suppressed minorities - was part of his inheritance; he is of Romnichal stock. His grandfather, Walter Albany Smith, was a full-blooded Romany. Home was two rooms in de Walden buildings, St John's Wood. Adam Ant recalls "There was no luxury, but there was always food on the table." His father worked as a chauffeur and his mother was a cleaner, briefly working for Paul McCartney. Although Adam didn't actually meet Paul until many years later, his mother was able to get him an autograph by one of The Beatles. His first school was Robinsfield Primary where he created a considerable stir by heaving a brick through one of the windows. Matters were presumably settled to everyone's satisfaction for he continued to attend Robinsfield. He then gained a place at St Marylebone Grammar School and after taking his A levels there he went on to Hornsey College of Art.
Ant's early career was as part of the punk rock movement, firstly as one of the Bromley contingent who followed the original punk groups that included Siouxsie and the Banshees, Generation X, and The Clash. The first band he joined was Bazooka Joe, in which he played bass. It was at a Bazooka Joe gig that Adam was witness to the Sex Pistols first ever public concert, billed as Bazooka Joe's support act. He acted in Derek Jarman's 1977 "punk" film Jubilee. His debut as a recording artist was the song "Deutscher Girls", which featured on the film's soundtrack, and was re-released as a single in 1982.
In 1979, having released the album Dirk Wears White Sox and gained an enthusiastic fan base, the Ants were recruited by former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. McLaren then turned around and persuaded the three other band members to leave the Ants and form Bow Wow Wow instead.
In early 1980 Adam Ant recruited old friend Marco Pirroni to reform the lineup, sound and image of the band, now featuring two drummers and pirate dress. This new look was used to market the album Kings of the Wild Frontier. Several singles from this album were chart successes. The band's popularity grew, and the follow-up album Prince Charming was highly successful, with three UK top-ten singles (two reaching #1). At the same time he and actress Jamie Lee Curtis had a brief relationship. The Ants split up in early 1982. Newspaper articles of the time offered various explanations for the motivations behind the split. Initially Adam was quoted as saying that the split was amicable but later he was to say that "the interest just wasn't there anymore. It might have been Adam and the Ants on the billboards but not on stage." In addition, it is said that Pirroni quit as he was tired of touring.
After the split, Ant went solo, taking his songwriting partner Pirroni with him. His greatest chart success was 1982's Friend or Foe album, which included the hit single "Goody Two Shoes" which made it to #1 in the UK and Australia, and #12 in the U.S. Other hits from that album included "Desperate But Not Serious", the fan-loved "Place In The Country", and the title track.
In 1983 Ant worked with Phil Collins and Richard James Burgess on the Strip album which was recorded at Polar Studios in Stockholm. The single "Puss 'N Boots" reached #5 on the UK charts, but the BBC banned both the video and the song for the follow-up single "Strip," which peaked at #41. In the same year he was involved in a court case (Merchandising v Harpbond), where it was argued his face-paint was a painting and should be therefore protected by copyright. This claim was rejected by the Court of Appeal, which preferred to opt for the more traditional image of a painting as canvas on a wall.
In 1985, he worked with veteran producer Tony Visconti on his third solo album, "Vive Le Rock". He secured a spot at the Live Aid concert, but was asked to cut his set to one song. He chose his new single, "Vive le Rock." Vive Le Rock was intended to be his ultimate hard rock album but the single underwent a mispressing error and the album received mixed reviews. As a result, Adam decided to end his career in music and focus on his acting career.
As the '80s wore on, Ant's attention turned toward acting, especially TV and movie roles. He spent three months in England on stage starring in Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr. Sloane. He also appeared on American television shows, notably The Equalizer, Sledge Hammer! and Northern Exposure. He began taking roles in films such as Nomads and Slamdance. He moved to Hollywood and appeared in a wide range of productions and shows.
In 1990, whilst maintaining an interest in acting, Ant returned to America and re-entered the pop music world with the album Manners & Physique, a collaboration with André Cymone, a solo artist and an early member of Prince's band. The album was another moderate success, and featured the UK and U.S. hit single "Room at the Top". "Rough Stuff" became the 2nd single for the United States and Germany as "Can't Set Rules About Love" charted in the United Kingdom. In 1993, he toured in support of a planned album called Persuasion. For reasons unknown, however, this album remains unreleased.
Ant returned to Los Angeles where he had a relationship with actress Heather Graham. He also acquired a stalker, which placed him under great stress. Ant was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His erratic behaviour led Graham to decide to end their relationship.
In 1995, he released his last album to date, Wonderful. The title track was a successful single, as was a tour of the U.S. in support of the album. While Ant and his group (which retained longtime guitarist Pirroni) played in smaller venues than they had played in the 1980s, the houses were often packed with enthusiastic fans. The tour was curtailed, however, when Ant and Pirroni both contracted a respiratory illness. Adam also played three shows at Shepherds Bush Empire in London and did a mini tour of Virgin Record Shops playing selected tunes from the album Wonderful and signing records. Adam and his band also played shows in Dublin, Glasgow, Middlesbrough & Stoke.
Recently, a new generation of Ant-influenced artists covered Adam and the Ants' hits during the '90s, including Elastica, Sugar Ray, Nine Inch Nails, Superchunk and Robbie Williams.
Antbox, a retrospective box set spanning Ant's career from the late 1970s through the 1990s, was released in late 2000. The box set included 66 tracks on three CDs, and quickly sold the initial 10,000 units. The box set was re-released in a different form (with the same tracks) and sold once again in 2003.
Ant was poised to join the '80s-focused Here & Now tour in early 2002, but was unable to do so after he was charged with threatening members of the public with an imitation firearm in a London pub. The court also ordered that he undertake rehabilitation, although he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
A television special entitled The Madness of Prince Charming was aired in the UK in 2003 documenting his career and his struggle with mental illness.
In 2004 and 2005, six remastered compact discs were released, spanning the years 1979 (Dirk) through 1985 (Vive Le Rock). The CDs include previously unreleased demos and material from the "Ant vault." The project was overseen by Marco Pirroni, and includes a written message from Adam Ant. A limited edition boxset, 'Adam Ant Remasters', was made to hold all 6 of the albums and Redux. This product was re-released with all 7 albums in 2006. (It was stated on his website that he was writing new music for a new album titled Fist In The Skull.)
In September 2006, he published his autobiography, Stand and Deliver. The paperback edition, published a year later (September 2007) contains a new epilogue which covers the year following the initial hardcover release.
Ant performed a live reading from his books (his first live performance in 11 years) at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London on 24 September 2007.
