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Englishman Stuart Leslie Goddard, AKA Adam Ant, started
out with the band Adam and the Ants, and then later as a solo artist.
Adam Ant is known for his string of early 80's hit songs, his long
running acting career, and for being voted MTV's sexiest man in America.
It was after a stint in a mental hospital that Goddard changed his name
to Adam Ant. Goddard's first band was called Bazooka Joe, where he
played bass guitar. The Sex Pistols were even billed as the
opening act for a Bazooka Joe performance at one point. After a
few years, Goddard formed the band The Ants (1977).
After playing various clubs around London without much
acclaim from critics, Adam and the Ants debuted in 1979 with the album Dirk Wears White Sox.
This album did not do well, and after taking some advice to change up
the band's sound, Kings of the Wild Frontier was subsequently
released in 1980. You might remember the song "Antmusic" from this
release, which charted at no. 2 in the UK. The album Prince
Charming was released in 1981. This album featured the title
track as a hit song as well as "Stand and Deliver" and "Ant Rap".
The wild music videos for these songs, which received heavy rotation on
MTV, were the catalyst for Ant's later acting career.
In 1982, Adam dissolved The Ants and went solo. His
first release as a solo artist was
Friend or Foe (1982), which featured the hit song "Goody Two
Shoes". Prior to this release, Ant's popularity was primarily in
the United Kingdom. "Goody Two Shoes" charted at no. 1 in the UK
and 12 in the USA. The album also featured the hit song "Desperate
But Not Serious". After a short hiatus to recuperate from a stage
injury, Ant teamed up with Phil Collins to release
Strip in 1983 (which featured the hit song "Puss 'N Boots".
Vive Le Rock, released in 1984, featured the hit song "Apollo 9".
In 1985, with popularity waning, Adam Ant decided to put
his music career on hold to pursue his acting career. For years
henceforth he could be found on stage, on the silver screen, and on
television. In 1990, Ant decided to go back to the music studio,
and the album Manners & Physique was released. Hit songs
from this album include "Room at the Top" and "Can't Set Rules About
Love".
Although Ant has continued experiencing some legal and
mental issues (he is bipolar) since his time in the spotlight, he does
continue acting, producing, and performing. At the time of this
writing (2012), Adam Ant was on tour and writing new material. The
current Adam Ant Discography is as follows:1979: Dirk Wears White Sox
1980: Kings of the Wild Frontier
1981: Prince Charming
1982: Friend or Foe
1983: Strip
1985: Vive Le Rock
1990: Manners & Physique
1990: Antics in the Forbidden Zone
1993: Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant
1993: B-Side Babies
1995: Wonderful
1999: The Very Best of Adam and the Ants
2001: Antbox
2006: Stand & Deliver
2007: Dandy Highwaymen (the best of)
2012: Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter |
