On this day, October 22, 1949, Stiv Bators was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Tue Oct 22, 2024, 09:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Hat tip, Little Steven, who talked about this on "Little Steven's Underground Garage" this weekend.

Stiv Bators



Background information
Birth name: Steven John Bator
Born: October 22, 1949; Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Died: June 4, 1990 (aged 40); Paris, France
Formerly of: Dead Boys, The Lords of the New Church, The Wanderers

Steven John Bator (October 22, 1949 – June 4, 1990), known professionally as Stiv Bator and later as Stiv Bators, was an American punk rock vocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.

Early life

Stiv Bators was born Steven John Bator on October 22, 1949, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Mr and Mrs. Steven John Bator Sr. He was of Pennsylvania Dutch and Czech-Romani descent; "Stiv" is the Czech equivalent to Steven. He was in Catholic school for 12 years.

Music and film career

In the course of his career Bators was involved with a variety of bands beyond those for which he was best known, including Hormones, with Dennis Comeau and Andre Siva, Frankenstein, The Wanderers and The Whores of Babylon (with Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Thunders). He also recorded as a solo artist with Bomp! Records.

As the lead singer and driving force of the Cleveland, Ohio–based Dead Boys, Bators helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude. The band quickly became a popular staple at CBGB, a music club in New York City's East Village. The Dead Boys were featured in the punk rock films Punking Out (1978), Live at CBGB's (1977) and Crash 'n' Burn (1977).

Following the demise of Dead Boys in 1979, Bators began a tumultuous relationship with Bomp! Records and its president, Greg Shaw. According to Shaw: "[W]hat he craved most was to escape the fetters of his Dead Boy image and win respect as a singer of contemporary pop rock (...) in other words, he wanted to be 'the thinking punk's Eric Carmen.'" To this end, and usually with first-wave punk rock veterans in tow, he recorded several singles, many of which were unreleased, and an LP, Disconnected, which was released in 1980. A retrospective album released in 1994, L.A. L.A. documented Bators' efforts as a pop-punk singer.

In 1980, Bators, located in London, formed The Wanderers with Dave Tregunna, the bass player for the punk group Sham 69, which had recently disbanded. The Wanderers came up with a concept album, called Only Lovers Left Alive (released in May 1981), along with two singles.

Bators and Tregunna formed The Lords of the New Church in 1981, with Brian James of The Damned. The Lords of the New Church became notorious for their live shows. A devotee of Iggy Pop, Bators had developed a fearless reputation in his Dead Boys days and continued such antics with The Lords of the New Church. They recorded two more successful albums.

Later, the punk vocalist gained additional exposure through more mainstream film. In 1981, Bators had a small role as "Bobo" in the satirical John Waters film Polyester. In 1988, Bators made a cameo appearance as "Dick Slammer", lead singer of the fictional band the Blender Children, in the offbeat comedy Tapeheads, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins.

In summer 1985, Bators contributed backing vocals to "Sun City" by Artists United Against Apartheid and also appeared in its music video, shot in October.

The Lords of the New Church broke up in 1989, when Bators injured his back and guitarist Brian James secretly began advertising for a replacement singer. Soon after, Stiv Bators moved to Paris, France and started to work on a new solo album. His last recording sessions were later released posthumously as the "Last Race" album in 1996.

Following Stiv Bators death, many musicians and bands recorded covers of his songs or dedicated works to him. His influence was highlighted in various tribute albums, including I Wanna Be a Dead Boy and Lords of the New Church: The Definitive Collection. These albums showcase how Bators' music continues to inspire new generations of musicians, keeping his legacy alive within punk rock culture.

Death

On June 4, 1990, Bators died in Paris after being hit by a car. He was on his motorbike when a car hit him and knocked him off the vehicle. He did not believe he was seriously injured, and returned to his apartment, where he died in his sleep as the result of a traumatic brain injury at the age of 40. He was survived by his parents. {See note, following.}

Dave Tregunna said that Bators, a fan of Jim Morrison, had earlier requested that his ashes be spread over Morrison's Paris grave and his girlfriend complied.

In the director's commentary of the film Polyester, in which Bators had a small role, director/producer John Waters stated that Bators' girlfriend, Caroline Warren, confessed to him that she snorted a portion of Stiv's ashes so that she could be closer to him.

{snip}

Note: DUer FSogol replied with added information regarding the events following Stiv Bators' traffic accident. In 2023, the paragraph at Wikipedia regarding Bators' activities immediately following the accident had this wording:

Death

In mid-1990, Bators died in Paris after being hit by a car. He was taken to a hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor after waiting several hours and assuming he was not injured. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a traumatic brain injury. He was survived by his parents.

Wikipedia has tightened its requirements regarding sources. If anyone can confirm what "reportedly" happened, the 2023 wording might now be accepted again at Wikipedia.

Dead Boys - Live at CBGB's 1977

Blue Headflame
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Tue Oct 24, 2023: On October 22, 1949, Stiv Bators was born.

Mon Oct 24, 2022: On October 22, 1949, Stiv Bators was born.

Hat tip, Little Steven, on Underground Garage the night before.

[FSogol]

1. One of my all time favorites. RIP.

PS. The wiki obit isn't fully correct. Here's a better version

In mid-1990, Bators was struck by a taxi in Paris during a bank holiday. He was taken to a hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor, after waiting several hours and assuming he was not injured. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a traumatic brain injury.

Which inspired this song by Australian punkers, The Hard-Ons

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Thanks for the added information.

I'm blocked from editing Wikipedia. Why not give it a try yourself? Wikipedia has gotten strict on edits. It expects you to come up with a source for the changes you make. I tried a few months back to add a birthday for someone whose death Wikipedia had noted. The change was rejected. My source? Wikipedia itself. That was deemed not good enough.

If you're not already a listener, I suggest you tune in to Little Steven's Underground Garage. He's always entertaining.

Local reception is a bit spotty, but on the internet, that doesn't matter. I listen to the show on Mount Shasta, California's KZRO, by way of Radio Garden. It comes on there at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, or 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on Sunday afternoons.

RADIO AFFILIATES; WHERE TO HEAR THE UNDERGROUND GARAGE

And good morning.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. He was born near me in Girard OH. I met him once.

Myself and a couple musician friends went to pick him up while he was visiting home in the mid '70s. I just got a quarter ounce block of blonde hash that day. By the time we got to My buddy's house, the inside of the car was socked in with a fog so dense it would shut down an airport.

I don't remember much after that..