Gene October
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Gene October (born John O'Hara)[1] is a British singer and songwriter who was a formative figure in London's punk rock movement in the late 1970s, fronting the band Chelsea.[2]
Music career
Prior to becoming involved in the punk movement, October had modelled clothing for designer Antony Price and appeared as a nude model for Jeffrey Magazine, an early British gay publication. October himself is openly gay.[3]
In 1976, October was involved in the creation of
October was the singer/frontman of the original London band Chelsea, which formed in late 1976 after October placed an ad in the Melody Maker. Chelsea also featured Billy Idol on guitar and Tony James on bass.[5] The band made their live debut on 18 October 1976 supporting Throbbing Gristle at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts.[1]
The band's repertoire at this time consisted primarily of cover versions of 1960s songs by the
From the mid-1980s to the 1990s, he was a solo artist, releasing two singles and a 1995 album titled Life and Struggle.[4] Since 1999, he has intermittently recorded and toured with Chelsea, including their 40th anniversary tour in 2016.[7]
October also acted in two films produced and directed by
Solo artist discography
Albums
- Life and Struggle (Receiver Records, 1995)
Singles
- "Suffering in the Land" (Illegal Records, 1983)
- "Don't Quit" (Slipped Discs, 1984)
References
- ^ a b Linazasoro, Nick (10 April 2022). "Chelsea play Brighton at The Prince Albert". Brighton and Hove News. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ 'Gene October - a fighter who's in it for the long haul', Mid Sussex Times, 12 May 2016.
- ISBN 9780955658303.
- ^ a b "The Chelsea Punk Band Home". Chelseapunkband.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ Dancing with Myself, Billy Idol, Simon & Schuster, 2014
- ^ Interview with Tony James, 'Generation X Anthology', April 2012.
- ^ "REVIEW: Gene October – a fighter who's in it for the long haul". Midsussextimes.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
External links
- Gene October at IMDb
- Official Chelsea website