Stiv Bators

Stiv Bators
Background information
Birth name Steven John Bator
Born (1949-10-22)October 22, 1949
Youngstown, Ohio, United States
Died June 4, 1990(1990-06-04) (aged 40)
Paris, France[1][2]
Genres Punk rock,[3] new wave,[3] gothic rock,[3] power pop[3]
Occupation(s) Musician, composer, actor
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1974–1990
Labels Bomp!, Sire
Associated acts Dead Boys
The Lords of the New Church

Steven John Bator (October 22, 1949 – June 4, 1990), better known by his stage name Stiv Bators, was an American punk rock vocalist and guitarist from Girard, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.

Music and film career

In the course of his career Bators was involved with a variety of bands beyond those for which he was best known, including Hormones, with Dennis Comeau and Andre Siva, Frankenstein, The Wanderers and The Whores of Babylon (with Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Thunders). He also recorded as a solo artist with Bomp! Records.

It was as the lead singer and driving force of the Cleveland, Ohio–based Dead Boys, however, that Bators helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude. The band quickly became a popular staple at CBGB, a music club in New York City's East Village. The Dead Boys were featured in the punk rock films Punking Out (1978), Live at CBGB's (1977) and Crash 'n' Burn (1977).

Following the demise of Dead Boys in 1979, Bators began a tumultuous relationship with Bomp! Records and its president, Greg Shaw. According to Shaw: "[W]hat he craved most was to escape the fetters of his Dead Boy image and win respect as a singer of contemporary pop rock. . . . in other words, he wanted to be 'the thinking punk's Eric Carmen.'"[4] To this end, and usually with first-wave punk rock veterans in tow, he recorded several singles, many of which were unreleased, and an LP, Disconnected, which was released in 1980. A retrospective album released in 1994, L.A. L.A. documented Bators' efforts as a pop-punk singer.

After England's Sham 69 disbanded, Bators, now located in London, formed the Wanderers with Dave Tregunna, the Sham 69 ex-bass-player. The band came up with a concept album, called Only Lovers Left Alive (released in May 1981), along with two singles.

Bators formed The Lords of the New Church later in 1981 with Brian James of The Damned and Dave Tregunna of Sham 69. The Lords became notorious for their live shows. A devotee of Iggy Pop, Bators had developed a fearless reputation in his Dead Boys days and continued such antics with The Lords, the most famous being the time he reportedly hanged himself during a show. Bator's stunt went awry and he was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes. Nonetheless, Bator survived and The Lords recorded two more successful albums.

Later, the punk vocalist gained additional exposure through more mainstream film. In 1981, Bators co-starred in the satirical John Waters film, Polyester. Seven years later, Bators made a memorable cameo appearance as "Dick Slammer", lead singer of "The Blender Children", in the offbeat comedy, Tapeheads, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins.

In December 1985 Bators flew to New York with his best friend Michael Monroe to work on Artists United Against Apartheid music video.[5]

The Lords of the New Church broke up in 1989, when Bators injured his back and guitarist Brian James secretly began advertising for a replacement singer.

Death

In mid-1990, Bators was struck by a taxi in Paris during a bank holiday.[6] He was taken to a hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor, after waiting several hours and assuming he was not injured. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a traumatic brain injury.[7] Dave Tregunna said that Bators, a fan of rock legend Jim Morrison, had earlier requested that his ashes be spread over Morrison's Paris grave and that his girlfriend complied.[7]

In the director's commentary of the film Polyester, which starred Bators, director/producer John Waters stated that Bators' girlfriend Caroline confessed to him that she snorted a portion of Stiv's ashes so that she could be closer to him.[8][9]

CBGB movie

In 2013, an American made motion picture titled CBGB was released to theaters. Dead Boys were featured as one of the seminal punk bands that got their start at the CBGB club, and were first managed by Hilly Kristal. Bators is portrayed by actor Justin Bartha, best known for his role in The Hangover films.

Discography

With Dead Boys

  • LPs
  • Later Releases
    • Night of the Living Dead Boys – Bomp! Records 1981
    • The Return of the Living Dead Boys – Revenge 1987 (Import/France)
    • Liver Than You'll Ever Be – Various Labels 1988 (Import/Various)
    • Younger, Louder and Snottier – Bomp! 1997
    • Twistin' on the Devil's Fork – Hell Yeah / Bacchus 1998
    • All This and More – Bomp! 1998
    • 3rd Generation Nation – Bad Boy Production 1999
  • 7" Singles
    • Sonic Reducer – Sire Records 1977
    • Tell Me – Sire Records 1977
    • Search and Destroy – Revenge 1977 (Import/France)
    • Buried Gems – Cold Front 2000
    • Paul Sherry goes Back – The Paul Sherry Sessions 2007

With Lords of the New Church

  • Studio albums
    • The Lords of the New Church (1982)
    • Is Nothing Sacred? (1983)
    • The Method to Our Madness (1984)
  • Live albums
    • Scene of the Crime (1988)
    • Live at the Spit (1988)
    • Second Coming (1989)
    • The Lord's Prayer II (2003)
  • Compilation albums
    • Killer Lords (1985)
    • The Lord's Prayer I (2002)
  • Singles
    • Live for Today 12" (1983)
    • Psycho Sex 12" (?)
    • Like a Virgin 12" (1985)
    • Dance with Me 12" (1987)

With the Wanderers

  • Studio Albums
    • Only Lovers Left Alive (Polydor Records; #POLS 1028); rel. May 1981
    • Only Lovers Left Alive (Captain Oi Records reissue on CD; #AHOY CD 141) rel. 2000
  • Singles
    • "Ready to Snap" b/w "Beyond the Law" (Polydor Records; #POSP 239); rel. March 1981
    • "The Times They Are A-Changin'" b/w "It's a Little Bit Frightening" (Polydor Records; #POSP 284); re. July 1981

Solo

  • Albums
    • 1980 – Disconnected
    • 1983 – The Lord and the New Creatures
    • 1988 – Live at the Limelight
    • 1992 – I Wanna Be a Dead Boy...
    • 1994 – L.A. L.A.
    • 1994 – Sonic Reducer - Les Genies Du Rock
    • 1996 – The Last Race
    • 2004 – L.A. Confidential
  • Singles
    • "It's Cold Outside" b/w "The Last Year" (Bomp Records 7" BOMP 124); rel. May 1979
    • "Circumstantial Evidence" b/w "Not That Way Anymore" (Bomp Records 7"; #45–128); rel. Jan. 1980
    • "Not That Way Anymore" b/w "Circumstantial Evidence" (Phantom Records, Australia 7"; #PH-5); rel. July 22, 1980...edition of 500 only with reversed A and B sides and unique pic sleeve.
    • "Too Much To Dream" (12"); rel. 1980
    • "Story in Your Eyes" b/w "Have Love Will Travel" (Bomp Records 12"; #45-12136); rel. fall 1986
    • "Here's A Heart" (12"), by Lyres with Stiv; rel. 1988
    • "King of the Brats" (7"); rel. 1994

References

  1. ↑ Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "Hiljaiset Levyt: PUNKNET 77 – Stiv Bators". Hiljaiset.sci.fi. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Prato, Greg. "Stiv Bators – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  4. ↑ Liner notes, L.A. L.A. CD.
  5. ↑ "Ramones: Interview With Michael Monroe". Kauhajokinyt.fi. February 14, 1997. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Stiv Bators, 40, Singer With Dead Boys Band". New York Times. June 6, 1990.
  7. 1 2 Jeremy Simmonds (2008). The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. Chicago Review Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-55652-754-8. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  8. ↑ Legs McNeil; Gillian McCain (2006). Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Grove/Atlantic, Inc. p. 426. ISBN 978-0-8021-4264-1. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  9. ↑ Steve Birmingham (June 8, 2010). "Interview with John Waters about his new book Role Models". Dog Canyon Magazine. Retrieved October 28, 2010.

Further reading

  • Wolff, Carlo (2006). Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company, Publishers. ISBN 978-1-886228-99-3
  • Chrome, Cheetah & Legs McNeil (2010). Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy's Tale From the Front Lines of Punk Rock. Minneapolis, MN: Quayside Publishing Group, Voyageur Press, Publishers. ISBN 076033773X
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