Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 - May 18, 1980) was an English singer and songwriter, born in Stretford, England. Curtis lived most of his life in Macclesfield, England and attended King's School, Macclesfield.

Ian Curtis is notable as the singer and lyricist with the band Joy Division, which he helped form in 1977 in Manchester, England.

Curtis developed a unique dancing style, which mirrored the epileptic fits he experienced late in life--so much so that at times audience members were unsure whether he was dancing or having a seizure. His epilepsy was said to have inspired him to write the Joy Division song 'She's Lost Control'. Ian possessed an eerie baritone voice, which he used to great effect in the songs Joy Division created. As well as suffering from epilepsy, personal problems such as an impending divorce from his wife and his complex mentality began to degrade him. He committed suicide by hanging himself in his kitchen, while listening to Iggy Pop's "The Idiot", two weeks before Joy Division was to embark on its first American tour. There are still questions over the real reason Curtis took his own life - one possible reason was that he simply wanted to die young. Curtis' death led to the creation of New Order by Joy Division's remaining members.

Curtis was cremated and buried in Macclesfield, with the inscription on his memorial stone reading, "Love Will Tear Us Apart." The epitaph, chosen by his widow Deborah Curtis, is a reference to Joy Division's best-known song.

In the mid-1990s, Deborah Curtis wrote Touching from a Distance, a biographical account of their marriage, in part detailing his infidelity.

In late 2004/early 2005, there have been plans for a Ian Curtis biopic [1]. The film, tentatively entitled Control will be based on material from Touching from a Distance. Popular rock photographer Anton Corbijn will direct while Deborah Curtis and former Factory Records head Anthony Wilson are executive producers. Jude Law is a candidate to portray Curtis on film.

Further reading

• Touching From A Distance - Ian Curtis And Joy Division by Deborah Curtis.
  (Faber and Faber Limited, 1995) ISBN 0571174450

• "Joy Division": Form (and Substance) by Clinton Heylin, Craig Wood.
  (Sound Pub., 1988) ISBN 1871407001

External links

• Ian Curtis and Joy Division Fans Club
• http://www.cluas.com/music/features/iancurtis.htm
• http://www.incubation.ch
• http://www.joydiv.com
• http://members.aol.com/lwtua/curtis.htm