Representative Songs: "The Last Year," "Here's a Heart," "It's Cold Outside"
Biography
As the frontman for the Dead Boys, Stiv Bators terrorized audiences with his snotty, in-your-face punk rock style. But after the Dead Boys, Bators embarked on a musical journey that saw him touch upon new wave (the Wanderers), goth rock (the Lords of the New Church), and power pop (during a brief solo career), as well as a fling with movie acting. Born Steve Bator on October 22, 1949, in Youngstown, OH, Bators took a liking to garage rock and proto-punk early on -- a story he liked to tell is that it was he who handed Iggy Pop the jar of peanut butter that he smeared across his chest and threw around while walking on the audience during the Stooges' televised infamous 1970 rock festival in Ohio (additionally, Bators befriended the Ramones during the quartet's first Ohio performance). As a result of his interest in the burgeoning punk movement, Bators hooked up with friend/guitarist Cheetah Chrome and others to form the short-lived local outfit Frankenstein. Sensing that there was little chance of launching a successful music career in Ohio, Bators convinced a handful of fellow local musicians (Chrome, guitarist Jimmy Zero, and drummer Johnny Blitz) to relocate to New York City in 1976, resulting in the formation of the Dead Boys.
The ploy worked, as the Dead Boys not only became an instant part of the CBGB's punk scene, but they also enlisted the club's owner, Hilly Kristal, as their manager, and signed a record deal with Sire. By specializing in a heavily Iggy Pop-influenced live show (which included Bators flailing himself around until he was battered and bloody, and faux-hanging himself on stage), the group built a buzz, which only intensified after the release of its 1977 debut, Young Loud & Snotty. Despite a promising start, the group would quickly disintegrate -- issuing only one more album that failed to replicate the debut's fire, 1978's We Have Come for Your Children, before splitting up.
In the wake of the Dead Boys' split, Bators decided to try shedding his wild man image by reinventing himself as a new waver, as he demoed power pop material and issued several singles via the Bomp! label (later collected on the 1994 L.A., L.A. compilation). In 1980 his full-length solo debut, Disconnected, was released; it saw Bators mix his new power pop direction with his punk roots. But rather than fully embark on a solo career, Bators opted to return back to a band, as he formed the Wanderers with ex-Sham 69 members Dave Parsons (guitar), Dave Tregunna (bass), and Rick Goldstein (drums). The group issued only one album, the schizoid concept album Only Lovers Left Alive, which forsake its members' punk past in favor of a sterile production and ambitious futuristic storyline. With punk fans still scratching their heads as to the career path Bators had embarked on since his Dead Boys days, the singer decided to give acting at try, with a bit part in the hilarious 1981 John Waters-directed movie, Polyester.
A union with ex-Damned guitarist Brian James followed soon after, resulting in the formation of the Lords of the New Church. And once more, the group didn't sound like what you'd expect from a pair of punk veterans, as they specialized in goth rock (reminiscent of Bauhaus). Unlike his other post-Dead Boys musical projects, the Lords lasted longer, as they issued a trio of albums during the early '80s -- 1982's The Lords of the New Church, 1983's Is Nothing Sacred?, and 1984's The Method to Our Madness -- before Bators exited (an infamous story involves Bators finding out about his impending firing via an ad in a music paper advertising for a vocal vacancy in the band -- for his last performance with the group, he wore a shirt with the ad replicated on it).
The late '80s saw Bators briefly work with ex-Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, appear in another movie, 1988's Tapeheads, and the Sun City music video, plus sporadic reunion gigs with the Dead Boys. Having relocated to Paris, France, little was heard from Bators subsequently, although it became known in later years that he attempted to form a punk rock supergroup featuring ex-New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders and ex-Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone. But besides a few rehearsals, nothing ever came of the union. Shortly thereafter, Bators died on June 4, 1990, from injuries sustained after being hit by a car. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
In the course of his career, Bators was involved with a variety of bands beyond those for which he was best known. These short-term bands included Rocket From The Tombs with Craig Bell of the Saucers, 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 Dead Boys, however, that Bators helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude. Bators and the Dead Boys were featured in the independent punk rock films Punking Out (1978), Live at CBGB's (1977) and Crash 'n' Burn (1977). Around the same time, the band became a popular staple at CBGB's, the now-legendary music club in New York City's East Village.
Following the demise of the 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.'"[1] 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 broke up, Bators, now re-located in London, formed the Wanderers with members of the band by the end of the year. This under-appreciated band came up with an anomaly for punk rock, 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. (Bators and Tregunna had also been in the Wanderers together). 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.
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. When Bators found out James played the encore of the band's final show donning a T-shirt with James' newspaper ad printed across the front, he then proceeded to fire the remaining members on-stage.[citation needed]
Personal life
In the late 1970s, Bators dated and lived with model / singer Bebe Buell, mother of the then infant Liv Tyler and temporarily set up home with the pair in Bangor, Maine. (A photograph of Bators and Buell is included in the package insert for the L.A. L.A. CD). He subsequently moved to England and married Anastasia Maisoneuve, who ended up leaving him for members of Hanoi Rocks. Some years after their divorce he relocated to Paris, France where he met and was living with a woman until his death.
Death
In the summer of 1990, Bators, intoxicated, was struck by a taxi while crossing a street in Paris. He was taken to hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor after waiting several hours. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a concussion. 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.
However, in the director's commentary of the film "Polyester," in which Bators starred, John Waters, in relating Bators death, stated that Bator's girlfriend had snorted his ashes.
Ironically, Stiv was the only one of the three "Whores of Babylon" (and fellow heroin users) who didn't die from a heroin overdose. Both Johnny Thunders and Dee Dee Ramone died of a heroin overdose; Johnny in New Orleans, less than a year after Stiv, and Dee Dee, shortly after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tribute
Demolition 23 dedicated a song titled "Dead Time Stories" (written by Michael Monroe, formerly of Hanoi Rocks and Jude Wilder) to Bators on the band's 1994 album called Demolition 23. The lyrics of the song contain several references to Bators and his music.Demolition 23 also covered 'Ain't nothin to do' from The Dead Boys album 'Young, Loud & Snotty'.
Use Your Illusion I (US & UK #2) and Use Your Illusion II (US & UK #1) by Guns N' Roses both ended their liner notes with the quote, "Ain't It Fun, - Stiv Bators". The band later released their cover version of The Dead Boys' "Ain't It Fun" as a single to promote their cover album The Spaghetti Incident?. The cover was also included on their successful Greatest Hits release.
The Bators, a band from Montreal is named in tribute of Stiv Bators, who's one of their favorite artists.
The Stivs, a band from Portland, Oregon was named in tribute of Stiv Bators.
Australian punk rock band Hard-Ons open their 2006 album Most People Are A Waste Of Time with a track entitled 'What Would Stiv Bators Do?'
Chinese punk rock band joyside's "Neptune Child" is in tribute of Stiv Bators and Johnny Thunders.
