Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon (born 30 May 1955) is an English drummer, best known as the drummer of punk rock band

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

. Known for his instrumental contributions to the drumming world, Headon was inducted in the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

with the rest of

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

in 2003. He joined

in 1977 and became famed for his drumming skills. He received his nickname owing to his resemblance to

Mickey the Monkey ''Mickey the Monkey'' was a comic strip which featured the eponymous fictional monkey, Mickey. The character was the cover star of British comic '' The Topper'' from its launch in 1953 until the 1970s. The strip appeared throughout the comic's ...

from the '' Topper'' comic.

Early life

Headon spent his early childhood in

Crockenhill Crockenhill is a village in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located 1 mile south of Swanley and 4.5 miles north east of Orpington, adjacent to the Kent border with Greater London. Etymology Crockenhill is from Old English ''hyll'' ...

, northwest

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, before attending

Dover Grammar School for Boys Dover Grammar School for Boys (DGSB) is a selective secondary school located in Dover, United Kingdom, whose origins can be traced back to the Education Act (the 'Balfour Act') of 1902. Originally founded as the Dover County School for Boys a ...

. He started playing drums at an early age and was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

fan, citing

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was indu ...

as a strong influence. In 1973, he joined the

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

outfit

Mirkwood Mirkwood is a name used for a great dark fictional forest in novels by Sir Walter Scott and William Morris in the 19th century, and by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 20th century. The critic Tom Shippey explains that the name evoked the excitement of t ...

. He appeared with them for a year and a half, and they supported major acts such as

Supertramp Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending pro ...

. He later played with a band which opened for American R&B legends

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

and admits to falsely claiming that he played with the Temptations.

The Clash

Originally Headon joined the Clash in 1977 with the intention of establishing a reputation as a drummer before moving on to other projects, but he soon realised their full potential and remained with them for four-and-a-half years. His first live performance was at Le Chartreux Cinema,

Rouen, France Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population of ...

on April 26, 1977. Headon appeared on the albums ''

Give 'Em Enough Rope ''Give 'Em Enough Rope'' is the second studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 10 November 1978 through CBS Records International, CBS Records. It was their first album released in the United States, preceding the ...

'' (1978), ''The Clash'' (1979 US version), ''

London Calling ''London Calling'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. The C ...

'' (1979), ''

Sandinista! ''Sandinista!'' is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. It crosses various genres including funk, reggae, jazz, g ...

'' (1980) and ''

Combat Rock ''Combat Rock'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was released on 14 May 1982 through CBS Records. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in ...

'' (1982), as well as several landmark singles the Clash recorded during their early period. He performed lead vocal on "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" from ''

Sandinista The Sandinista National Liberation Front ( es, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN) is a Socialism, socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas () in both English and Spanish. The party is named after ...

'' and composed most of the music and played drums, piano and bass guitar on the hit single "

Rock the Casbah "Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, released in 1982. The song was released as the second single from their fifth album, ''Combat Rock''. It reached number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the US (t ...

" from ''Combat Rock''. He also appeared on ''

Super Black Market Clash ''Super Black Market Clash'' is a 1993 compilation album released by the English punk rock band The Clash. It contains B-sides and rare tracks not available on the group's regular studio albums. The album is an expanded repackaging of the 1980 r ...

'' (1993), which included

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

s from the band's single releases. Clash singer/guitarist

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...

is quoted as saying Headon's drumming skills were a vital part of the band. Tensions rose between Headon and his fellow band members due to his

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

, and he left the band on 10 May 1982, at the beginning of the ''Combat Rock'' tour. The band covered up the real reason for Headon's departure, the apparent growing use of

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

, claiming Headon's exit was due to

exhaustion Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

. Strummer had even asked Headon once: "How can I be singing anti-drug songs with you sitting behind me?" In a later interview for the

rockumentary A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...

'' The Clash: Westway to the World'', he apologised for his addiction and speculated that, had he not been asked to leave the Clash, the band might have lasted longer and might possibly still be together. He also lamented that the best known Clash line-up had been considering a reunion at the time of Strummer's death, after the positive reunion during the ''Westway to the World'' rockumentary.

After the Clash

After leaving the Clash, he was considered as drummer in Mick Jones's post-Clash band

Big Audio Dynamite Big Audio Dynamite (later known as Big Audio Dynamite II and Big Audio, and often abbreviated BAD) were an English band, formed in London in 1984 by Mick Jones, former lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the Clash. The band mixed various mu ...

and played in a short-lived group called

Samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

, with bassist

Pete Farndon Peter Granville Farndon (12 June 1952 – 14 April 1983) was an English bassist and founding member of the rock band the Pretenders. In addition to playing bass with the group, Farndon sang backup vocals and co-wrote two of the group's songs ( ...

, guitarist

Henry Padovani Henry (or Henri) Padovani (born 13 October 1952) is a French musician (from the Mediterranean French isle of Corsica), noted for being the original guitarist of English rock band The Police. He was a member of the band from January 1977 to Augus ...

, organist

Mick Gallagher Michael William Gallagher (born 29 October 1945) is an English Hammond organ player best known as a member of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and for his contributions to albums by the Clash. He has also written music for films such as ''Extremes ...

, and vocalist Steve Allen (formerly of

Deaf School Deaf School is an English art rock/ new wave band, formed in Liverpool, England, in January 1974. Overview Between 1976 and 1978, the year in which they split up, Deaf School recorded three albums for the Warner Brothers label. The first alb ...

). Headon subsequently focused on recording a solo album, ''

Waking Up Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

'' (1986), which featured Mick Gallagher,

Bobby Tench Robert Tench (born 21 September 1944) is a British vocalist, guitarist, sideman, songwriter and arranger. Tench is best known for his work with Freddie King and Van Morrison, as well as being a member of The Jeff Beck Group, Humble Pie, Str ...

and

Jimmy Helms James D. Helms (born September 27, 1941) is an American soul singer, known as a member of Londonbeat but who also had solo hits such as " Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse". Early years James D. Helms was born in Florida, United States. ...

. He also released a cover version of the

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...

instrumental "Drumming Man" as a single, which featured Headon's "DuKane Road" on the

. His own composition "Hope for Donna" was included on the

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

sampler '' Beat Runs Wild'', in the same year. During the 1980s Headon produced albums for New York band

Bush Tetras Bush Tetras are an American post-punk band from New York City, formed in 1979. They are best known for the 1980 song "Too Many Creeps", which exemplified the band's sound of "jagged rhythms, slicing guitars, and sniping vocals".punk rock band Chelsea's ''Underwraps'' (1989). During the late 1980s Headon drove mini-cabs to finance his heroin addiction, and later busked on the London Underground with bongo drums. After a live show in 2002, he was informed of the death of Clash frontman

. An emotional Headon stated: Headon was extensively interviewed for the '' Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten'' documentary film about the late Clash frontman, which was released in 2007. Headon related his experiences during this period, how he became addicted to heroin and how there were problems before his dismissal. Headon also stated that seeing the video of "

" with "someone else (

Terry Chimes Terence Chimes (born 5 July 1956, Stepney, London, England) is an English musician, best known as the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again fro ...

) in ''my'' place playing ''my'' song" caused him to fall in even greater depression and heavier drug addiction. On 11 January 2008 he performed with Carbon/Silicon at the Carbon Casino Club in

Portobello Portobello, Porto Bello, Porto Belo, Portabello, or Portabella may refer to: Places Brazil * Porto Belo Ireland * Portobello, Dublin * Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin formerly ''Portobello Barracks'' New Zealand * Portobello, New Zealand, on Ot ...

London, being included with the line-up of Mick Jones, Tony James, Leo Williams and Dominic Greensmith. Headon joined the band on stage during

's " Train in Vain (Stand by Me)". An encore followed with Headon playing drums on "

Should I Stay or Should I Go "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a song by English punk rock band the Clash, from their album ''Combat Rock'', written in 1981 and featuring Mick Jones on lead vocals. It was released in 1982 as a double A-sided single alongside " Straight to ...

". This performance marked the first time since 1982 that Headon and Jones had performed together on stage. In a February 2008 newspaper article Headon revealed that in 2003 he started to experience serious back pain, a frequent complaint of ageing rock drummers. Diagnosed with

hyperkyphosis Kyphosis is an abnormally excessive convex curvature of the spine as it occurs in the thoracic and sacral regions. Abnormal inward concave ''lordotic'' curving of the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine is called lordosis. It can result fr ...

, a forward curvature of the back, he underwent intense posture adjustment treatment and continues to exercise daily. He notes that, on his recent appearance with Jones, he exhibited his new upright stance. At some point in the 1980s, Headon contracted

Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...

, which, along with his alcohol intake, led to severe liver problems. Headon successfully underwent interferon treatment for his hepatitis in 2007 and became a spokesman for the Hepatitis C Trust. The BBC featured Headon in a February 2009 feature on drumming as therapy. He shares some of his story in a brief video interview. In 2012 Headon was interviewed by fellow drummer Spike Webb, sharing stories from his years drumming for The Clash and his experience writing 'Rock The Casbah'. Actor Alex Gold portrayed Headon in the 2016 film '' London Town'', which tells the story of a Clash-obsessed teenager who crosses paths with Joe Strummer by happenstance in 1979 and finds his life changing as a result. Reviews were mostly negative.

Drumming style

As a drummer, Headon often employed a distinctive style which emphasised a simple bass-

snare SNARE proteins – " SNAP REceptor" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts, more than 60 members in mammalian cells, and some numbers in plants. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to mediate vesicle fu ...

up-down beat, accentuated with closed

hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...

flourishes. Such a method can be found in the songs "

Janie Jones (song) "Janie Jones" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It is the opening track on their debut album, ''The Clash'' (1977). The song is named after Janie Jones, a cabaret singer who organised sex parties at her Kensington home. A li ...

","

Clash City Rockers "Clash City Rockers" is a song by English rock band the Clash. It was first released in February 1978 as a single with the B-side " Jail Guitar Doors", the latter a re-worked version of a song from Joe Strummer's pub rock days. "Clash City Rocke ...

", "

Clampdown "Clampdown" is a song by the English rock band the Clash from their 1979 album ''London Calling''. The song began as an instrumental track called "Working and Waiting". It is sometimes called "Working for the Clampdown" which is the main lyric ...

", "

Train in Vain "Train in Vain" is a song by the British punk rock band the Clash. It was released as the third and final single from their third studio album, ''London Calling'' (1979). The song was not originally listed on the album's track listing, appearing ...

", and " Lost in the Supermarket". His drumming on "

" has been characterised as one of the most important and distinctive beats in rock music. Scott Kenemore of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' writes, "his contribution to the music was tremendous, and his drumming remains an undiscovered

treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

for too many."

Discography

With the Clash

* ''

'' (1978) * ''

'' (1979 U.S. release of the album; originally released in 1977, Headon plays drums on "

", "

Complete Control "Complete Control" is a song by The Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the U.S. release of their debut album. Background The song is often cited as one of punk's greatest singles and is a fiery polemic on record companies, manager ...

", "

(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a 7-inch single, with the b-side "The Prisoner", on 16 June 1978 through CBS Records. Produced by The Clash and engineered by ...

", "

I Fought the Law "I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, becoming a top-ten hit for the band in 1966. Their version of the song was ranked No. 175 on the ''Rolling Stone'' lis ...

", and "Jail Guitar Doors") * ''

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1980) * ''

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1980/1993) drums on all tracks except on "1977" and "Listen"

Solo discography

Topper Headon has released one studio album, one EP, and three singles as a solo artist and featured on several other artists' albums.

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Notes

References

* * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Headon, Topper 1955 births English punk rock drummers Living people Musicians from Kent People educated at Dover Grammar School for Boys People from Bromley The Clash members English rock drummers