David Vanian (born David Lett, 12 October 1956) is an English
rock musician, and lead singer of the
punk rock band
the Damned. Formed in 1976 in
London, the Damned were the first British punk band to release a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, release an album, have a record hit the UK charts, and tour the
United States. With a fluid line-up since their founding, Vanian has been the only ever-present member. Vanian's
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
singing voice, dark lyrics and
vampire-themed costumes, were a major influence on the
goth subculture
Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-p ...
.
Career
Born in
Newcastle upon Tyne,
North East England
North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...
, Vanian moved with his parents to
Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
when he was a couple of months old. Vanian changed his name from Lett to Vanian in early life after a stint as a
gravedigger – Vanian being a play on "
Transylvanian". He remains one of the early influencers of
gothic fashion, wearing dark and otherworldly clothing both on stage and off. He is known to be a fan of
renaissance art,
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
and
horror movies, all of which manifest in his stage appearance. In November 1976, the British music magazine ''
NME'' stated that Vanian "resembles a runaway from
the Addams Family".
In 1978, he was guest in the song "Don't Panic England", from the band
Doctors of Madness.
In 2004, he and fellow Damned member
Captain Sensible turned on the
Christmas lights in
Cambridge, causing some controversy.
Vanian sang with
MC5 for their 40th anniversary singing "Looking at You", which was released as part of ''Revolution: A Celebration of the MC5''. In 2008, Vanian with the band the Throb, performed on "Let's Get Lost (Sailor Jerry's Story)" for the compilation album, ''The Original Sailor Jerry Rum – Music To...''. Outside of the Damned, Vanian has led the
gothabilly
Gothabilly (sometimes hellbilly) is music genre influenced by rockabilly and goth subculture. The name is a portmanteau word that combines ''gothic'' and ''rockabilly'', first used by the Cramps in the late 1970s to describe their somber blend o ...
band
Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords, hosted ''Dave Vanian's Dark Screen'' on the UK-based television channel
Rockworld TV and composed the soundtrack for the 2009 film, ''The Perfect Sleep''.
Personal life
Vanian has kept his personal life out of the limelight, opting out of any input into the Damned biography, ''The Light at the End of the Tunnel'', by Carol Clerk. He married his first wife, Laurie, in 1977; they separated in the mid-1990s. He married
Patricia Morrison in
Las Vegas in 1996, after the Damned had toured Australia. The couple have one child, named Emily, and live in
Harrow
Harrow may refer to:
Places
* Harrow, Victoria, Australia
* Harrow, Ontario, Canada
* The Harrow, County Wexford, a village in Ireland
* London Borough of Harrow, England
** Harrow, London, a town in London
** Harrow (UK Parliament constituency)
...
, Greater London.
Discography
Studio album
*''
David Vanian and the Phantom Chords'' (1995)
References
External links
The Damned (official site): Dave Vanian section*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanian, David
1956 births
Living people
English punk rock singers
English baritones
The Damned (band) members
Gothic rock musicians
Gothabilly musicians
People from Hemel Hempstead
Musicians from Hertfordshire