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Gary Glitter

Gary Glitter (born May 8, 1940) was a British rock and roll performer in the early 1970s, most notable for his hit song "Rock and Roll", parts of which have become an almost ubiquitous anthem at many American professional sports events. In 1999, he was convicted of child pornography offences.

Born Paul Francis Gadd in 1940, it was as a teenager, Glitter performed at various bars and pubs in London, eventually landing a deal with Decca Records. His first single as "Alone in the Night" (1960), released under the name Paul Raven. He signed with Parlophone Records in 1961, and Raven released two unsuccessful singles, appearing on Ready Steady Go, a television show, and working in several commercials. In 1965, Raven joined in the Mike Leander Show Band, also producing singles by Thane Russell and the Poets. After the collapse of the Mike Leander Show Band, Raven formed Boston International (later known as the Bostons) with John Rossall, a professional saxophonist. Boston International toured widely. Using the name Paul Monday, the singer released "Musical Man" and "Here Comes the Sun" (George Harrison), then "Soul Thing" and "Stand!" (Sly & The Family Stone) were released as Paul Raven. This was followed by "We're All Living in One Place" as Rubber Bucket.

Finally, Leander and Glitter decided that glam rock was the way to go, and began recording "Rock and Roll", a fifteen minute song that eventually became two parts ("Rock and Roll (Part 1)" and "Rock and Roll (Part 2)"). Before the song was released, Gary Glitter chose his modern name. "Rock and Roll" eventually became a huge hit in 1972 in the United Kingdom, though it took six months to enter the charts. This was followed by a series of similar singles, all successful, as were the first two albums, Glitter and Touch Me.

With his shows and persona becoming more and more outrageous, Glitter's fame showed no sign of stopping. "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", "I Love You Love Me Love" and "Remember Me This Way" were all huge hits. Glitter's back up band, the Glitter Band, even became hit-makers by association. "Always Yours", "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful", "Doing Alright With the Boys" and "Love Like You and Me" were all successes, but "Papa Ooh Mow Mow", his next single, was only a moderate hit. His "Greatest Hits" album followed. He retired briefly in 1976, but by the end of 1977 he was back in the charts with "It takes all night long", from his album of that year "Silver Star".

In the 1980s, Glitter took a major part in The Rocky Horror Show in New Zealand and released a few minor hits in 1977. After "All That Glitters" (1981), a medley of past hits, launched a successful career as a performer, though his studio recordings were rare.

Active in several projects during the '80s and early 1990s, Glitter released a cover of the Animals' "The House of the Rising Sun", which was a major hit. His new career fell apart on November 18, 1997, after he took his computer to UK computer store PC World to be mended. The staff there found pornographic images of children on the hard drive and called the police. Glitter was arrested and, on November 12, 1999, was convicted on child pornography charges; he was sentenced to four months in prison. (This prompted his scene in the Spice Girls movie called Spice World: The Movie to be cut from the final release.)

After his release from prison, Glitter moved to Cuba in 2000. After his whereabouts were published in British newspapers, he relocated to Cambodia but was later expelled by the Cambodian authorities after a public outcry at his presence.

In September 2001, Glitter released a new album, called On, featuring new material alongside tracks recorded prior to his conviction. Many of these songs were originally written for the Lost On Life Street album, which was scheduled for release in 1998 but was cancelled following Glitter's arrest.

It was reported in December 2004 that Glitter was once again living in Cambodia, and had bought a house there.


Hit singles

  • 1972 "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)" #2 UK; #7 US
  • 1972 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Til I Saw You Rock 'N' Roll)" #4 UK; #35 US
  • 1973 "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)" #3 UK
  • 1973 "Hello Hello I'm Back Again" #3 UK
  • 1973 "I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am)" #1 UK
  • 1973 "I Love You Love Me Love" #1 UK
  • 1974 "Remember Me This Way" #3 UK
  • 1974 "Always Yours" #1 UK
  • 1974 "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" #2 UK
  • 1975 "Love Like You and Me" #10 UK
  • 1975 "Doing Alright with the Boys" #6 UK
  • 1975 "Papa Oom Mow Mow" #38 UK
  • 1976 "You Belong To Me" #40 UK
  • 1977 "It Takes All Night Long" #25 UK
  • 1977 "A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of Mind" #31 UK
  • 1981 "And Then She Kissed Me" #39 UK
  • 1984 "Dance Me Up" #25 UK
  • 1984 "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" #7 UK

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.
. It was reported in December 2004 that Glitter was once again living in Cambodia, and had bought a house there.
. Many of these songs were originally written for the Lost On Life Street album, which was scheduled for release in 1998 but was cancelled following Glitter's arrest. Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2004. In September 2001, Glitter released a new album, called On, featuring new material alongside tracks recorded prior to his conviction. George Harrison and Aaliyah Haughton made UK Chart History when they scored the first, and to this date only, back to back posthumous number one hits when Aaliyah's "More than a Woman" (Released on 07 January 2002 and topped the chart on 13 January 2002) was followed by George's "My Sweet Lord" (Re-released on 14 January 2002 and topped the chart on 20 January 2002).

After his whereabouts were published in British newspapers, he relocated to Cambodia but was later expelled by the Cambodian authorities after a public outcry at his presence. Joe Brown concluded with the Gus Kahn/Isham Jones classic "I'll See You In My Dreams". After his release from prison, Glitter moved to Cuba in 2000. For the finale, all of the artists went back on stage to end with "Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "My Sweet Lord" (with Billy Preston on keyboards) and "Wah-Wah". (This prompted his scene in the Spice Girls movie called Spice World: The Movie to be cut from the final release.). Ravi Shankar's daughter Anoushka Shankar joined Jeff Lynne in a performance of "The Inner Light," Clapton and Lynne performed "I Want To Tell You" and "If I Needed Someone," Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers (with Jools Holland and Sam Brown) performed "Taxman" and "I Need You," Starr performed "Photograph", members of Monty Python (Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam) performed "The Lumberjack Song," and McCartney and Starr performed "For You Blue". The staff there found pornographic images of children on the hard drive and called the police. Glitter was arrested and, on November 12, 1999, was convicted on child pornography charges; he was sentenced to four months in prison. On November 29, 2002, the first anniversary of his death, the Concert For George saw the two remaining Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr join many of Harrison's friends for a special memorial concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London that benefitted the Material World Charitable Foundation.

His new career fell apart on November 18, 1997, after he took his computer to UK computer store PC World to be mended. His final album, Brainwashed, was completed by Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne and released in November 2002. Active in several projects during the '80s and early 1990s, Glitter released a cover of the Animals' "The House of the Rising Sun", which was a major hit. He often said: 'Everything else can wait but the search of God can't wait, and love one another'". After "All That Glitters" (1981), a medley of past hits, launched a successful career as a performer, though his studio recordings were rare. After his death, the Harrison family released the following statement: "He left this world as he lived in it: conscious of God, fearless of death and at peace, surrounded by family and friends. In the 1980s, Glitter took a major part in The Rocky Horror Show in New Zealand and released a few minor hits in 1977. He was cremated, and although it was widely reported that his ashes were scattered in the River Ganges, the ceremony was not conducted at the expected time [2] (http://www.theage.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2002/11/30/1038386359453.html). The actual disposition of the ashes has not been publicly disclosed.

He retired briefly in 1976, but by the end of 1977 he was back in the charts with "It takes all night long", from his album of that year "Silver Star". His death was ascribed to lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain. His "Greatest Hits" album followed. George died at the home of a friend in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, November 29, 2001, at the age of 58. "Always Yours", "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful", "Doing Alright With the Boys" and "Love Like You and Me" were all successes, but "Papa Ooh Mow Mow", his next single, was only a moderate hit. Abram, who believed he was possessed by Harrison and was on a "mission from God" to kill him, was later acquitted on grounds of insanity. Glitter's back up band, the Glitter Band, even became hit-makers by association. Harrison and his wife fought the intruder and detained him for the police.

"I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", "I Love You Love Me Love" and "Remember Me This Way" were all huge hits. There was also a December 30, 1999 attempt on his life by a crazed fan, 35 year-old Michael Abram, who broke into his home, Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames, and stabbed him multiple times, puncturing his lung. With his shows and persona becoming more and more outrageous, Glitter's fame showed no sign of stopping. Throughout the 1990s, Harrison, a former smoker, endured an ongoing battle with cancer, having growths removed first from his throat, then his lung. This was followed by a series of similar singles, all successful, as were the first two albums, Glitter and Touch Me. This new album included three excellent new songs; "Poor Little Girl", "Cheer Down" and "Cockamamie Business" which saw him, once again, looking wryly upon his Beatley past. "Rock and Roll" eventually became a huge hit in 1972 in the United Kingdom, though it took six months to enter the charts. 1992 saw a 'Best Of' released, although this was to concentrate on the 1976 - 1992 years, unlike his previous compilation released of the mid 70's.

Before the song was released, Gary Glitter chose his modern name. The Live in Japan recording came from these shows. Finally, Leander and Glitter decided that glam rock was the way to go, and began recording "Rock and Roll", a fifteen minute song that eventually became two parts ("Rock and Roll (Part 1)" and "Rock and Roll (Part 2)"). tour, and although he seemed to enjoy it more there were to be no others. This was followed by "We're All Living in One Place" as Rubber Bucket. It was his first tour since the ill-fated 1974 U.S. Using the name Paul Monday, the singer released "Musical Man" and "Here Comes the Sun" (George Harrison), then "Soul Thing" and "Stand!" (Sly & The Family Stone) were released as Paul Raven. In 1991 Harrison staged a tour of Japan along with his friend Eric Clapton.

Boston International toured widely. It was not as successful as the previous album, but still managed to stay on the charts for quite a time, spawning the singles "She's My Baby" and "Wilbury Twist". After the collapse of the Mike Leander Show Band, Raven formed Boston International (later known as the Bostons) with John Rossall, a professional saxophonist. The album was recorded as a four-piece. In 1965, Raven joined in the Mike Leander Show Band, also producing singles by Thane Russell and the Poets. The band had allegedly approached Del Shannon about replacing Roy, but he also met an untimely death. He signed with Parlophone Records in 1961, and Raven released two unsuccessful singles, appearing on Ready Steady Go, a television show, and working in several commercials. The first year of the new decade saw a new Traveling Wilburys album, despite the sad death of Roy Orbison.

His first single as "Alone in the Night" (1960), released under the name Paul Raven. One of his most memorable cameos was in the cult Beatles parody The Rutles, created by ex-Python Eric Idle. Born Paul Francis Gadd in 1940, it was as a teenager, Glitter performed at various bars and pubs in London, eventually landing a deal with Decca Records. Papadopolous in Life of Brian. In 1999, he was convicted of child pornography offences. He made several cameo appearances in these movies, including appearing as a nightclub singer in Shanghai Surprise, and as Mr. Gary Glitter (born May 8, 1940) was a British rock and roll performer in the early 1970s, most notable for his hit song "Rock and Roll", parts of which have become an almost ubiquitous anthem at many American professional sports events. Other films produced by Handmade included Mona Lisa, Time Bandits, Shanghai Surprise and Withnail and I.

1984 "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" #7 UK. He provided financial backing for the Python film The Life of Brian after the original backers (EMI Films) withdrew, fearing the subject matter of the film was too controversial. 1984 "Dance Me Up" #25 UK. Since childhood The Beatles had been fans of the anarchic humour of The Goons, and Harrison became a dedicated fan of their successors, the Monty Python team. 1981 "And Then She Kissed Me" #39 UK. One of Harrison's most successful ventures during this period was his involvement in film production through his company Handmade Films. 1977 "A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of Mind" #31 UK. This had to be completed inside 2 weeks, as Dylan was scheduled to start a tour. Released in October of 1988, under various pseudonyms as half-brothers, supposed sons of Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr., their album was immediately dubbed as one of the top 100 albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

1977 "It Takes All Night Long" #25 UK. The record company realised the track ("Handle With Care") was too good for its original purpose and asked for a separate album. 1976 "You Belong To Me" #40 UK. During the 1980s, he helped form the Traveling Wilburys with Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty when they gathered in Dylan's garage to quickly record an additional track for a projected Harrison European single release. 1975 "Papa Oom Mow Mow" #38 UK. The album got to #8. 1975 "Doing Alright with the Boys" #6 UK. He returned in 1987 with the album Cloud Nine, co-produced with Jeff Lynne, and enjoyed a hit (#1 in the U.S.; #2 in the U.K) when his cover version of "Got My Mind Set On You" was released as a single.

1975 "Love Like You and Me" #10 UK. But he released no records for five years after Gone Troppo in 1982 was met with apparent indifference. 1974 "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" #2 UK. All the three ex-Beatles performed on it, marking the first time since the break-up in 1970 that the three appeared on one record, although it was expressly a Harrison single. 1974 "Always Yours" #1 UK. Immediately following the murder of his friend and former bandmate John Lennon, Harrison modified the lyrics of a song he had written for Ringo Starr to make it a tribute song to Lennon, "All Those Years Ago", which found substantial radio airplay and continues to be a staple of "classic rock" radio. 1974 "Remember Me This Way" #3 UK. He moved his own output to the label in 1976, once his contract with EMI finished.

1973 "I Love You Love Me Love" #1 UK. Harrsion had formed his own record label, Dark Horse Records, in 1974 and issued a limited number of records by performers such as Splinter, Attitudes and Ravi Shankar. 1973 "I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am)" #1 UK. The most successful was Thirty Three & 1/3, which was lighter in tone and featured the hits "This Song" (a satire of the "My Sweet Lord" ruling) and "Crackerbox Palace" (a humourous and surrealistic number, perhaps reflecting his association with members of Monty Python). 1973 "Hello Hello I'm Back Again" #3 UK. Harrison continued to issue records throughout the rest of the 1970s. 1973 "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)" #3 UK. The album was not received well, despite the occasional gem such as "So Sad", and the tour got poor notices due to excessive preachiness and Harrison's voice being hoarse.

1972 "I Didn't Know I Loved You (Til I Saw You Rock 'N' Roll)" #4 UK; #35 US. In 1974 Harrison released Dark Horse and at the same time launched a major tour of the United States. 1972 "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)" #2 UK; #7 US. "Give Me Love" was a big hit, and "Sue Me Sue You Blues" was a window into the former Beatles' miserable legal travails, but overall the record was seen as too overtly religious. Harrison's next album was Living in the Material World in 1973. In addition to his own works, during this time Harrison wrote or produced several hits for Ringo Starr and also appeared on tracks by John Lennon.

Unforunately, however, the concert actually lost money due to expenses. Classical sitar maestro Ravi Shankar opened the proceedings, which included other popular musicians such as Bob Dylan (in a surprise rare live appearance), Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Badfinger and Billy Preston. His Concert for Bangladesh on August 1, 1971, drew over 40,000 people to two shows in New York's Madison Square Garden with the intention of aiding the starving refugees from the war in Bangladesh. Harrison was probably the first modern musician to organize a major charity concert.

Harrison denied deliberately stealing the song, but he did lose the case in 1976; in the ruling, the court accepted the possibility that Harrison had "unconsciously plagiarised" the Chiffons song as the basis for his own song. It included the number one hit single "My Sweet Lord", although Harrison was later sued for copyright infringement over the supposed similarities to the 1963 Chiffons single "He's So Fine". After years of being limited in his contributions to the Beatles, he released a large number of the songs he had stockpiled in the first major solo work released after the breakup, All Things Must Pass, the first triple album in rock history. After the Beatles split in 1970, Harrison released a number of albums that were critically and commercially successful, both as solo projects and as a member of other groups.

His increasing productivity, coupled with his difficulties in getting The Beatles to record his music, meant that by the end of the group's career he had amassed a considerable stockpile of unreleased material. "Something" is considered one of his very best works, and was even covered by Frank Sinatra. "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something" are probably his two best-known Beatles songs. Notable Harrison compositions from the Beatles' oeuvre include: the intricate "If I Needed Someone"; "I Want To Tell You"; the Indian-influenced "Love You To"; the acerbic "Taxman" (later referenced in The Jam's "Start"); the much-maligned "Within You, Without You", which is arguably a foundation stone of the world music genre; "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which was strongly influenced by the music of his friend Roy Orbison and featured a guitar solo by his close friend Eric Clapton; "Piggies", which later featured inadvertently in the notorious Charles Manson murder case.

While not the primary composer in the group (Lennon and McCartney wrote the vast bulk of the Beatles' material), as time went on Harrison's songwriting improved greatly and his material gradually earned respect from both his fellow Beatles and the public. By the mid-Sixties Lennon and McCartney had become somewhat more accepting of his contributions, although he later said that he always had difficulty getting his songs recorded and only managed to get one or two included on each LP. The tension between Harrison and McCartney can be clearly seen in several scenes in the Let It Be documentary film and relations became so strained during the making of the film that Harrison briefly quit the band. Friction between Harrison and McCartney increased markedly during the recording of The White Album, with Harrison threatening to leave the group on several occasions. Despite this, the two men remained close friends.

Clapton famously poured out his unrequited passion on the landmark Derek & the Dominoes album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1971), but soon after its release Boyd left her husband and she and Clapton subsequently married. Harrison married model Pattie Boyd in 1966, but in the late 1960s Clapton fell in love with her. This song was the basis for Harrison's composition for The Beatles' Abbey Road album, "Here Comes The Sun", which was written in Clapton's back garden. Harrison formed a close friendship with Eric Clapton in the late 1960s and they co-wrote the song "Badge", which was released on Cream's farewell album in 1969.

For a short time Harrison used the drug regularly and became an enthusiastic advocate, although he later renounced the use of drugs. Harrison and Lennon were the first two of the Beatles to try LSD in 1965, when they were unwittingly 'dosed' by their dentist at a party in London. He championed Shankar with western audiences and was largely responsible for having him included on the bill at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. He travelled to India to take lessons from Shankar, bought a sitar himself, and became the first western popular musician to use one on a recording (Norwegian Wood).

Harrison quickly became fascinated with the sitar, immersed himself in Indian music and was instrumental in popularising the sitar in particular and Indian music in general in the West. A turning point in Harrison's career came during an American tour in 1965, when his friend David Crosby of The Byrds introduced him to Indian classical music and the work of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. Although he was a highly creative soloist, several of his famous Beatles guitar solos were recorded under specific directions from Paul McCartney, who on occasion demanded that Harrison play what he envisioned virtually note-for-note. Harrison was a fluent, inventive and highly accomplished rhythm and lead guitarist, whose influences included Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins and Chet Atkins.

[1] (http://www.newsindia-times.com/2002/12/13/intl-top14.html). While, during his lifetime, Harrison had bequeathed to the society his Lethmore Heath ranch, located north of London, he redoubted speculations that he would leave ISKCON a large sum in his will: in fact, he left nothing to the organization. Soon after, Harrison embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and remained associated with them until his death. The same year, he and fellow Beatle John Lennon met Swami Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta, the founder of the Hindu sect International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

In the summer of 1969, the Beatles produced the single "Hare Krishna Mantra", performed by Harrison and the devotees of the London Radha-Krishna Temple that topped the 10 best-selling record charts throughout UK, Europe, and Asia. It was his meeting with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that led him first into meditation. His experimentation with the instrument brought him into contact with the sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, who became a close friend and mentor, along with Shankar's famed poet friend Zakir Raman. In the mid 1960s he began playing the sitar, which influenced the sound of the Beatles' music in such songs as "Norwegian Wood", "Love You To", and "Within You Without You".

At the height of the Beatles' popularity, he was often characterized as the "Quiet Beatle", noted for his introspective manner and his growing interest in Hinduism. In the mid-1950s he knew Paul McCartney (also a Liverpool Institute student) and beginning in February 1958 played lead guitar in the band (initially called the Quarry Men) that eventually became the Beatles. Later on, he attended the Liverpool Institute, a "smart school", but was regarded as a poor student, and contemporaries described him as someone who would "sit alone in the corner". Born in Liverpool, England, and raised as a child at 12 Arnold Grove, he first attended school at Dovedale Infants, just off Penny Lane.

They had one son, Dhani Harrison, born the previous month. The ceremony took place at their home, with Joe Brown acting as best man. Harrison married for a second time to Olivia Trinidad Arias, in September 1978. His first wife was the model, Pattie Boyd, for whom Harrison is sometimes supposed to have written the song "Something"; that marriage ended in divorce.

Harrison married twice. His sister has said that their mother wrote in her diary that he was born ten minutes after midnight on February 25. According to Harrison, his birthday was really February 24. George Harrison MBE (February 24, 1943 - November 29, 2001) was a popular British songwriter, musician and film producer best known as a member of the Beatles.

2003 "Any Road" #37 UK. 2002 "My Sweet Lord" (re-issue) #1 UK. 1992 "Poor Little Girl / Cheer Down". 1990 "Wilbury Twist" (with The Traveling Wilburys).

1990 "She's My Baby" (with The Traveling Wilburys). 1990 "Nobody's Child" (with The Traveling Wilburys) #44 UK. 1989 "End of the Line" (with The Traveling Wilburys) #52 UK. 1988 "Handle with Care" (with The Traveling Wilburys) #21 UK.

1988 "This Is Love" #55 UK. 1988 "When We Was Fab" #23 US, #25 UK. 1987 "Got My Mind Set on You" #1 US, #2 UK. 1981 "Teardrops" #101 US.

1981 "All Those Years Ago" #2 US, #13 UK. 1979 "Blow Away" #16 US #51 UK. 1977 "It's What You Value" (UK only). 1977 "True Love" (UK only).

1977 "Crackerbox Palace" #19 US. 1976 "This Song" #25 US. 1975 "This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)". 1975 "You" #20 US, #38 UK.

1975 "Ding Dong" #36 US, #38 UK. 1974 "Dark Horse" #15 US. 1973 "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" #1 US, #8 UK. 1971 "Bangla-Desh" #10 UK, #23 US.

1971 "What is Life" #10 US, (unreleased UK). '71). 1970 "My Sweet Lord" #1 US, #1 UK (Jan. Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 (2004 box-set compilation).

Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 (1989 compilation). The Best of George Harrison (1976 compilation). Brainwashed (2002). Live In Japan (1992, remastered 2004).

Traveling Wilburys, Volume 3 (1990). Traveling Wilburys, Volume 1 (1988). Cloud Nine (1987, remastered 2004). Gone Troppo (1982, remastered 2004).

Somewhere in England (1981, remastered 2004). George Harrison (1979, remastered 2004). Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976, remastered 2004). Extra Texture (1975).

Dark Horse (1974). Living in the Material World (1973). Concert for Bangladesh (1971). All Things Must Pass (1970, remastered 2001).

Electronic Sound (1969). Wonderwall Music (Film Soundtrack, 1968).