Billy Childish (real name Steven John Hamper) (born December 1, 1959) is an artist, singer, and guitarist, hailing from Chatham in Kent, England. He is a prolific writer, with more than 600 songs to his name. Childish started as a punk poet at Medway Art College in 1978, then went on to form the Pop Rivets , sometimes spelled the Pop Rivits (with Bruce Brand, Russell Wilkins and Russell Lax). He later led The Milkshakes , Thee Mighty Caesars , The Del Monas and Thee Headcoats . In 2001 he formed The Buff Medways , named after a type of poultry bred in his home town.

A consistent advocate for amateurism and free emotional expression, his aesthetic beliefs lead him to co-found the Stuckist art-movement, partially as a reaction against the perceived over-emphasis on sophistication and theory in contemporary British art. He has since left the movement.

See also

• Tracey Emin

External links

• Billy Childish (official)
• Thee Billy Childish homepage (unofficial)