News & Updates — Poly Styrene

Poly Styrene / July 3, 1957 - April 25, 2011

Poly Styrene / July 3, 1957 - April 25, 2011

An early riot grrl influence and a punk rock icon, Poly Styrene was the front woman for the awesome first-wave British punk band X-Ray Spex. Her powerful voice paired well with the sax of Lora Logic on classics like "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!". Born to a Somali father and Scottish-Irish mother, Marian Joan Elliott-Said was trained in opera but seeing the Sex Pistols on her 19th birthday inspired her to take the punk name "Poly Styrene" and start her band X-Ray Spex. She was also a ska fan from the time. X-Ray Spex may have been short-lived and underdocumented but...

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