Robert Smith
From Punkopedia - The Punk, Hardcore, and Indie Encyclopedia
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Robert James Smith (born April 21, 1959 in Blackpool, England) is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, and has been the lead singer of British rock band The Cure since its founding in 1976. NY Rock calls him "pop culture's unkempt poster child of doom and gloom", and describes his songs as "somber introspection over lush, brooding guitars". Smith is a multi-instrumentalist and can play guitar, bass guitar, double bass; keyboard; and violin.
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[edit] Musical Career
Early Years Robert Smith is the third of four children born to Alex and Rita Smith. His siblings are Richard, Margaret and Janet. Janet is married to Porl Thompson, the "second" guitarist of The Cure; he and Smith switch between playing lead and rhythm guitars.
Smith was raised as a Catholic and went to Notre Dame Middle School and St. Wilfrid's Comprehensive School in Crawley. He was an accomplished student who maintained high marks, but after he began playing guitar at the age of 11 his primary focus quickly became his music. He was influenced by The Beatles, Nick Drake, Jimi Hendrix, The Ink Spots and David Bowie.
Smith met Mary Poole in school when he was 14 years old, and they married in 1988. Smith wrote one of the Cure's signature compositions, "Lovesong", as a wedding present to his wife. As a teenager, he once wore a black velvet dress to school - just to shock everyone, and once held a benefit concert for a gay teacher who had been fired.
Role in the Cure Smith has written or co-written the bulk of The Cure's music and lyrics in a career spanning 30 years. When the Cure was first formed, Smith did not intend to become the lead vocalist; he only began singing because after the original singer left the group could not find a suitable vocalist. During the late 1970s and into the '80s, Smith composed some of The Cure's songs on a Hammond organ, and recorded a complete demo of the song "10:15 Saturday Night".
Smith is the only member of the band who has stayed on from the beginning. With Lol Tolhurst, he wrote songs such as singles "Lovecats," "Let's Go to Bed", and "The Walk". He also wrote the album The Top between stints as Siouxsie and the Banshees' guitarist. Smith has co-produced most of the band's material.
