Ian Hunter Patterson (born 3 June 1939) is an English singer-songwriter and musician who is best known as the lead singer of the English rock band

Mott the Hoople Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums throughout the early 1970s but fai ...

, from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and at the time of its 2009, 2013, and 2019 reunions. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before joining Mott the Hoople, and continued in this vein after he left the band. He embarked on a solo career despite ill health and disillusionment with commercial success, and often worked in collaboration with

Mick Ronson Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

's sideman and arranger from ''

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (often shortened to ''Ziggy Stardust'') is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 16June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-pr ...

'' period. Mott the Hoople achieved some commercial success, and attracted a small but devoted fan base. As a solo artist, Hunter charted with lesser-known but more wide-ranging works outside the rock mainstream. His best-known solo songs are "

Once Bitten, Twice Shy "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is a 1975 song written and recorded by Ian Hunter, from his debut solo album '' Ian Hunter'', which reached No. 14 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was included in the 2017 feature-length biographical documentary, ...

", later covered by Great White, and "England Rocks", which was modified to " Cleveland Rocks" and then covered by The Presidents of the United States of America, and became one of the theme songs used for the American TV series ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995 to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalize ...

''.

Early years

Hunter was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. Due to the onset of war, the family moved to

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, South Lanarkshire to live with the family of his Scottish father. Hunter was brought up there until the age of six and has stated that he considers himself a Scot, but also identifies as English and British. Hunter's entry into the music business came after a chance encounter with Colin York and Colin Broom at a

Butlin's Butlin's is a chain of large Seaside resort, seaside resorts in the United Kingdom. Butlin's was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families. Between 1936 and 1966, ten camps were built, including one ...

holiday camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...

, where the trio won a talent competition performing " Blue Moon" on acoustic guitars. York and Broom were members of a Northampton-based band called The Apex Group, fronted by bass player and band leader

Frank Short Sir Francis Job "Frank" Short PPRE (19 June 1857 – 22 April 1945) was a British printmaker and teacher of printmaking. He revived the practices of mezzotint and pure aquatint, while expanding the expressive power of line in drypoint, etc ...

. Hunter soon left his home in Shrewsbury, transferred his apprenticeship from Sentinel/Rolls-Royce to British Timken in Northampton, and joined The Apex Group on rhythm guitar. Hunter recalls jumping around like a lunatic on stage: "Music affected me so much. The rest of them just stood there. It was funny, I had kids who came just to watch me do this, and I can't imagine what it looked like." Hunter left The Apex Group in 1958, just before they recorded their first single "Yorkshire Relish" / "Caravan" for John Lever Records. Hunter played in a few local groups, but eventually his financial situation forced a change. "I wasn't making my

hire-purchase A hire purchase (HP), also known as an installment plan, is an arrangement whereby a customer agrees to a contract to acquire an asset by paying an initial installment (e.g., 40% of the total) and repaying the balance of the price of the asset pl ...

payments, and 'little jobs' were getting done and people were getting smacked. I was never in the middle of it, but I was always somewhere in the area." He returned to Shrewsbury, ostensibly to become more responsible in his personal life, and settled down enough to have a steady girlfriend in Diane Coles. Outside of his day job, he and Tony Wardle formed a harmonica duo inspired by

Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang was a British comedy musical group, formed in 1946 by Morton Fraser (born Emmanuel Fish; 3 November 1905–10 June 1982). History Fraser was born Emmanuel Fish in Leeds, to a naturalised immigrant family of Polis ...

, a local variety act. It was during this period – late 1963 or early 1964 – that The Apex recorded a second disc for John Lever records, released as The Apex Rhythm & Blues All Stars. The four-song EP included their own "Tall Girl", and covers of

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

's "Reeling and A'Rocking" and "Down the Road A'piece", and Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs' "Sugar Shack". Hunter probably does not appear on this record; the EP was recorded around the time Hunter left the group for the second time. At Freddie Lee's suggestion, The Shriekers began taking jobs in the same German clubs where the Beatles had cut their teeth a few years earlier. In an interview taped in 2004, Hunter volunteers that Lee and their gigs in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

were a major turning point, at which he first began to "think maybe I could do this instead of working in factories."Hunter, 2005 In 1966, Hunter moved to London, where he joined The Scenery with guitarist Miller Anderson, drummer Dave Dufort and keyboard player Dante Smith. There Hunter met Mick Ronson, then guitarist of bands the Voice and The Rats, at the Flamingo Club in London. According to Anderson, "Mick was coming down the stairs ... and we were going up and I said, `Mick, this is my friend, Ian unterPatterson.'" The Scenery, now with John Vernon Smith on drums, recorded tracks with Bill Farley at Regent Sound that were licensed for international release without their knowledge. Hunter and Anderson recall writing and recording "To Make a Man Cry," but not the B-side, "Thread of Time." John Vernon Smith appears on the picture sleeve, but Johnny Banks, of

The Merseybeats The Merseybeats (also related vocal duo The Merseys) are an English beat band that emerged from the Liverpool Merseybeat scene in the early 1960s, performing at the Cavern Club along with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and other simila ...

, played on the record. Johnny Gustafson was also included in the session work. The songs were released on the Impact label, and it is unclear whether they originated from France or Belgium. Hunter remained in the band after Anderson's early 1968 departure. Anderson and J.V. Smith were replaced by guitarist Chris Mayfield and drummer Pete Phillipps, and the group backed up Freddie Lee in 'At Last The 1958 Rock and Roll Show'. They got a regular booking at The Angel in Edmonton, and drew interest from both Chrysalis Records and NEMS but were signed by neither. With Miller Anderson back in place of Mayfield, the group released a single on CBS called "I Can't Drive". As the short-lived

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

revival waned, 'At Last the 1958 Rock and Roll Show' changed its name to 'Charlie Woolfe' and released a final single, "Dance, Dance, Dance". During Hunter's obscure early years, Hereford's Shakedown Sound, with future Mott members in their ranks, gigged in roughly the same circles but without any record company interest. Hunter played with various other artists throughout the 1960s, including The Young Idea,

Billy Fury Ronald Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known as Billy Fury, was an English singer, musician, songwriter, and actor. An early star of rock and roll, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s and spent 332 we ...

and David McWilliams. In late 1968 Mickie Most hired Hunter and Dufort to play in a band that was to be called 'The New Yardbirds', a name that Jimmy Page had been using for his post- Yardbirds group before discarding it in favour of '

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

'. This led confused fans to think that Hunter had been a member of

. Explained Hunter: "See: this is rubbish, but people read it and believe it." Hunter also worked as a journalist and staff songwriter for Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd., did road-digging for a local council, and reported for a

local newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports an ...

Career

Mott the Hoople

By 1969, Hunter had two children, but was still hoping for a return to making music full-time. Meanwhile, guitarist Mick Ralphs joined organist Verden Allen in Jimmy Cliff's backing band, The Shakedown Sound. Eventually Ralphs, Allen, vocalist Stan Tippins, bassist Overend Watts, and drummer Dale Griffin united to become Silence, who auditioned for British impresario

Guy Stevens Guy Stevens (13 April 1943 – 28 August 1981) was a British music industry figure whose roles included DJ, record producer, and band manager. He was influential in promoting R&B music in Britain in the 1960s, gave the rock bands Procol Ha ...

. Silence renamed themselves after Willard Manus' 1966 novel, ''

''. The band lacked a credible singer with stage presence, and the seasoned Hunter, who had by this time taken to wearing his trademark sunglasses, auditioned on a lark and was given the position. They were a critical success in the UK, where some of their most dedicated early fans included future members of the Clash. However, they could not sustain their commercial appeal, and their American tours were slow in building a following. Mott released several LPs and attracted enthusiastic live audiences, but experienced dismal sales despite the

svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition ...

-like leadership and promotion of Stevens. After a 1972 concert in a "gas cylinder" in Switzerland, the band announced their end. Ian Hunter2009

David Bowie, a fan of the band, then offered them a song he had just written. As Hunter recalled in a 2004 DVD interview, "He offered us "

Suffragette City "Suffragette City" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was originally released in April 1972 as the B-side of the single " Starman" and subsequently appeared on his fifth studio album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust a ...

", which I didn't think was good enough. And then he sat down on the floor, Regent Street it was, in a publisher's office, and plays "

All The Young Dudes "All the Young Dudes" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by the English rock band Mott the Hoople in 1972 by Columbia Records. Bowie produced the song, which he had given to ...

" on an acoustic guitar." It reached No. 3 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and revived the band, who were appreciative of Bowie's rescue. Guitarist Ralphs relates that Bowie taught Mott studio tricks, but one of the best-known sounds during the period was a 'hand-clap-in-the-toilet' routine that relied more on Hunter's vision than it did on Bowie's clearly more experienced studio abilities. Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson also significantly contributed to Mott's sound, a fact noticed by Hunter, who would later collaborate with Ronson a great deal. The post-Bowie Mott the Hoople had notable commercial success with the albums ''

All the Young Dudes "All the Young Dudes" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by the English rock band Mott the Hoople in 1972 by Columbia Records. Bowie produced the song, which he had given to ...

'' (1972, produced by Bowie); ''Mott'' (1973) and ''The Hoople'' (1974). The band experienced financial success with songs such as "Roll Away The Stone", "Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll", "Honaloochie Boogie", "All The Way From Memphis", "Saturday Gigs", and especially "All The Young Dudes". Hunter chronicled the highs and lows of touring in '' Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star'', his journal of a chaotic five-week American tour in November and December 1972. Ralphs left in 1973 to form

Bad Company Bad Company are an English rock supergroup that was formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell. Bad Company ''AllMusic'' Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, a ...

, and Hunter began to play guitar until

Luther Grosvenor Luther James Grosvenor (born 23 December 1946) is an English rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym Ariel Bender, in Mott the Hoople and Widowmaker. Grosvenor was born in Evesham ...

took over. Hunter at the same time was increasingly pressured to write hits for the band. Grosvenor, aka Ariel Bender, was briefly replaced by Ronson, formerly the leading member of Bowie's backing band

The Spiders from Mars The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie's backing band in the early 1970s, and initially consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums. The group had its origins in Bowie's earlier ba ...

, after the release of a live album following ''The Hoople''. Hunter left the band in December 1974. The remaining members carried on under the names Mott and British Lions. On 16 January 2009, several sources, including Hunter's own website, announced that Mott the Hoople would reunite for two concerts at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, on 2 and 3 October 2009. These two dates sold out, and three additional dates were added. In the end, Mott the Hoople played two warm up gigs in Monmouth, five nights at the Hammersmith Apollo, and made a final appearance at the Tartan Clefs Charity night at the Kelvin Hall that November. A further British tour in 2013, taking in Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester (which was released on CD and DVD), culminated in a last night at

The O2 arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...

on 18 November 2013.

1970s

In March 1975, Hunter joined forces with Mick Ronson, his most frequent collaborator until Ronson's death in 1993. Hunter's first single from his eponymous solo album was the UK Top 40 hit "Once Bitten Twice Shy". Hunter and Ronson then parted professionally, reportedly due to Hunter's refusal to deal with Ronson's manager, Tony DeFries. Hunter's second solo album, ''

All American Alien Boy ''All American Alien Boy'' is the second studio album by Ian Hunter. Because of management issues, Mick Ronson did not appear on this album; instead, Hunter brought in keyboardist Chris Stainton to act as a balancing force in the studio. Unlike ...

'' (1976), was a more

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

-infused work which featured saxophonist

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...

and bassist

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

, once an opening act for Mott the Hoople, provided backing vocals on one track. Hunter's next album, ''

Overnight Angels ''Overnight Angels'' is the third studio album by Ian Hunter, released in May 1977 by Columbia Records. After the poor sales of his previous album, Hunter's apparent aim for this record was to re-emphasise faster songs with more of a rock fee ...

'' (1977), was produced by

Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s. Career Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...

and featured a heavier guitar sound courtesy of former Bowie sideman

Earl Slick Earl Slick (born Frank Madeloni in Brooklyn, New York, October 1, 1952) is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Robert Smith. He has also worked with other artists including John Waite, Tim ...

. Hunter's record label in America, Columbia Records, refused to release the album in the US due to issues concerning Hunter's management: "''Overnight Angels'' was not released in the US because I fired my manager, Fred Heller, during the English promotional tour – just before it was to be released in America. Columbia said they didn't want to release it until I had new management and that dragged on until it became too late." In late 1978, Hunter produced Generation X's second LP '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1979). Ronson returned as producer and guitarist on Hunter's 1979 album, ''

You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic ''You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic'' is the fourth solo studio album by Ian Hunter. The album featured members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band as the backing band. Allmusic considers the album to be Hunter's best. Hunter says th ...

'', which also featured John Cale and several members of Bruce Springsteen's

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

. Two songs from ''...Schizophrenic'' became successes for other artists: Barry Manilow's version of " Ships" became a top ten US hit in late 1979, and the Presidents of the United States of America's 1997 cover of " Cleveland Rocks" was used as one of the theme songs for ''

''. "Cleveland Rocks" is arguably Hunter's most enduring solo song; a de facto anthem in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, Ohio, where it is sometimes used as a victory song for the city's sports teams. Hunter was given the

key to the city The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

by Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich on 19 June 1979. The same year, Hunter co-produced with Ronson,

Ellen Foley Ellen Foley (born 1951) is an American singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom '' Night Court'' for one season. In music, she has released five solo albums but is best known for her colla ...

's '' Night Out'' album, where he also contributed keyboards, guitar, and percussion.

1980s

The best-selling status of ''...Schizophrenic'' led Hunter's record label, Chrysalis Records, to commission the release of the double album '' Welcome to the Club'' (1980). Primarily a live album, it also featured some original studio material.

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

played lead guitar on Hunter's eleven-show 1980 US tour but does not appear on the live album. Hunter's first studio album of the 1980s was ''

Short Back 'n' Sides ''Short Back 'n' Sides'' is the fifth studio album by Ian Hunter. Unsure of which direction he should take, Ian Hunter finally decided to collaborate with Mick Jones, who gave Hunter's songs a tougher and heavier touch. Fellow Clash member To ...

'' (1981), produced in collaboration with Ronson and Clash guitarist Mick Jones. Ronson's input on Hunter's next album, ''

All of the Good Ones Are Taken ''All of the Good Ones Are Taken'' is the sixth solo studio album of Ian Hunter. The album contains a mix of several styles. Longtime collaborator Mick Ronson was mostly absent (he only played guitar on one track), because he was seriously ...

'' (1983), was restricted to playing guitar on a single track. The title track became a minor hit in the US, after MTV put the song's video into heavy rotation. In the same year, Ronson travelled to Canada to produce the

Payolas Payolas (stylized as Payola$) was a Canadian rock band that was most prominent in the 1980s. Evolving from a new wave sound toward mainstream pop rock, they were best known for the single "Eyes of a Stranger", from their 1982 album '' No Stran ...

' album ''Hammer on a Drum'', to which Hunter contributed backing vocals.

1990s

YUI Orta ''YUI Orta'' is the seventh solo studio album by English singer Ian Hunter. The title is a play on the phrase "Why you, I ought to...". Hunter reunites again with longtime collaborator Mick Ronson, as The Hunter Ronson Band. It was intended ...

'' was released as a joint album by Hunter and Ronson in 1990, and the pair performed alongside David Bowie and Queen at

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was a benefit concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992, at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis, ...

in April 1992. Ronson died of liver cancer a year later, and Hunter gave his memorial speech. Hunter wrote and recorded "Michael Picasso", a tribute to Ronson that was included on Hunter's 1996 album ''

The Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminals ...

'', the follow-up to '' Dirty Laundry'' (1995). Hunter appeared on Ronson's posthumously-released solo album, ''

Heaven and Hull ''Heaven and Hull'' is the final solo album by Mick Ronson, released in 1994, following Ronson's death the previous year. It featured collaborations by longtime friends of Ronson including David Bowie, Joe Elliott, and Ian Hunter. Other artis ...

'' (1994), and performed at the first Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in April 1994.

2000s

In 2000, Hunter played a handful of live dates in the UK and the US to promote the release of Sony's 2-CD anthology, ''Once Bitten Twice Shy''. For the UK dates, he used the same band as in 1999: Darrell Bath (guitar), Paul Cuddeford (guitar), Paul 'Trevor' Francis (bass), Ian Gibbons (keyboards), and Steve Holley (drums). For the lone US date, his band included Andy York (guitar), John Conte (bass), Tom Mandel (keyboards), and Steve Holley (drums). In 2001, Hunter toured North America with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band as part of a line-up which included Ringo Starr, Sheila E., Greg Lake, Howard Jones,

Roger Hodgson Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’ ...

, and

Mark Rivera Mark Rivera (born May 24, 1953) is an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, musical director and corporate entertainment provider who is mostly known for his work with Billy Joel. In addition to playing soprano, alto, tenor and b ...

. Hunter's studio album ''

Rant A diatribe (from the Greek ''διατριβή''), also known less formally as rant, is a lengthy oration, though often reduced to writing, made in criticism of someone or something, often employing humor, sarcasm, and appeals to emotion. His ...

'', released the same year and was followed by two live albums: 2004's ''Strings Attached'' with a 20-piece orchestra, and 2005's ''The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth'' with Mick Ralphs (and

Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...

of Queen and

Joe Elliott Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English–Irish rock singer, best known as the lead singer and one of the founding members of the hard rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of the David Bowie tribute ba ...

of Def Leppard on one song). Hunter won ''

Classic Rock Magazine ''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...

s Songwriter Award in October 2005. His studio album, ''

Shrunken Heads A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes. Headhunting has occurred in many regions of the world, but the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwest ...

'', was accompanied by a three-song bonus CD, and was released in May 2007 by Jerkin' Crocus in Europe and Yep Roc Records in the US. ''Man Overboard'', was released on 21 July 2009, by

New West Records New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia. It had offices in Burbank, California, and Beverly Hills, California. The label was established in 1998 by Cameron Strang "for artists who perform real music ...

2010s

Hunter's 20th solo studio album ''When I'm President'' was released on 3 September 2012, in the UK on Proper Records, and on the following day in the US on Slimstyle Records. Hunter and his Rant band performed on 3 June 2015, at the City Winery in New York. A new live album, ''Ian Hunter & The Rant Band – Live in the UK 2010'', was released on 20 October 2014, on Hunter's own label Rant Records. Hunter continues to tour across the UK, Europe and North America. In January 2015, he played three nights in Tokyo. Hunter's observations on his Tokyo trip were documented in an article titled 'Diary of a Rock 'N' Roll Star – Part 2' that appeared in the June 2015 issue of ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

''. A new studio album, ''Fingers Crossed'', was released worldwide on 16 September 2016, on Proper Records. The album featured the song "Dandy", which Hunter wrote about and dedicated to the late

. On 29 March 2019, Hunter joined

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...

and other artists on stage during the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance. The group played "All The Young Dudes" to close the night. Hunter & the Rant Band's four-night Gala 80th Birthday Celebration was held at the City Winery in New York City from 31 May to 3 June 2019. On 30 September 2019, Hunter's 2019 US tour was cancelled because he developed a severe case of

tinnitus Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no corresponding external sound is present. Nearly everyone experiences a faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely quiet room; but it is of concern only if it is bothersome, interferes with normal hearin ...

and his doctors advised him to stop performing until it subsided.

Discography

Solo albums

Solo singles

Mott the Hoople albums

* ''

'' (1969) – UK No. 66 / US No. 185 * '' Mad Shadows'' (1970) – UK No. 48 * ''

Wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

'' (1971) – UK No. 44 * ''

Brain Capers ''Brain Capers'' is the fourth album by the band Mott the Hoople. It was originally released in November 1971 in the UK by Island Records (catalogue number ILPS 9178) and on Island Records in Canada (cat. no. SW-9178), and was reissued in 20 ...

'' (1971) – did not chart * ''

'' (1972) – UK No. 21 / US No. 89 * ''

Mott Mott is both an English surname and given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname B *Basil Mott (1859–1938), British civil engineer *Bitsy Mott (1918–2001), American baseball player C * Charles James Mott (1880–1918), British bar ...

'' (1973) – UK No. 7 / US No. 35 * ''

The Hoople ''The Hoople'' is the seventh studio album by United Kingdom, British rock music, rock band Mott the Hoople. The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 11, whilst its highest chart rating in the US was No. 28. A remastered and expanded vers ...

'' (1974) – UK No. 11 / US No. 28 * ''Rock And Roll Queen'' (1974) – US No. 112 * '' Live'' (1974) – UK No. 32 / US No. 23 * ''Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology'' (August 2008) 2-CD set – Mott on one disk, Hunter solo on the other

Mott the Hoople ''Billboard'' singles

*" The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" – UK No. 16 / US No. 96 *"One of the Boys" – US No. 96 *"All The Young Dudes" – UK No. 3 / US No. 37

Notes

References

Additional bibliography

*Cato, Philip. ''All The Way to Memphis, The Story of Mott the Hoople'', S.T. Publishing, Lockerbie, Scotland: 1997. *Frame, Pete. ''The Complete Rock Family Trees'', Omnibus Press *''Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'', 16th ed. *''Guinness Book of British Hit Albums'', 7th ed. *Hunter, Ian. ''Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star'', Panther, 1974, *Hunter, Ian. ''Horse's Mouth'', Issue No. 33, 18 July 2003. *Hunter, Ian. ''Horse's Mouth'', Issue No. 70, Part 1, 19 December 2006. *Ian Hunter and the Rant Band, ''Just Another Night, Live at the Astoria'', London, colour, DVD-Video, NTSC, Region 1 (US and Canada only), 4 October 2005, 180 minutes, Bonus Material, Exclusive interview, Band Sound check, Animated Biography, Special Live Guest Appearances. *Short, Martin C. (2001). ''The Great Rock Discography'' 5th ed. *

External links

On The Morton Fraser Harmonica Gang

BBC Review of Ian Hunter at The Stables, Wavendon 2008

Ian Hunter in Concert

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

(US), 22 June 2007
The Secret Sessions Featuring Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson
* Harris, John
Mott the Hoople: The dudes abide
''The Guardian'', 3 September 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Ian 1939 births Living people Musicians from Shropshire People from Oswestry Chrysalis Records artists Columbia Records artists English rock singers English male singers English songwriters Mott the Hoople members Glam rock musicians People from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire Yep Roc Records artists Island Records artists Proper Records artists Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band members