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| Gary Glitter: the glam rock star who fell from grace | Gary Glitter: the glam rock star who fell from grace |
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| With his sparkling silver, open-fronted jacket with oversized collars, matching silver trousers, big hair and platform heels, Gary Glitter was among pop music's biggest – and most recognisable – stars of the 1970s. Riding the wave of the glam rock phenomenon, he had sold more than 18m records by 1975. He had a succession of hits and remained a popular figure well into the 1990s until charges against him relating to child sex abuse destroyed his reputation. | With his sparkling silver, open-fronted jacket with oversized collars, matching silver trousers, big hair and platform heels, Gary Glitter was among pop music's biggest – and most recognisable – stars of the 1970s. Riding the wave of the glam rock phenomenon, he had sold more than 18m records by 1975. He had a succession of hits and remained a popular figure well into the 1990s until charges against him relating to child sex abuse destroyed his reputation. |
| Glitter was born Paul Gadd in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in 1944. He never met his father and was brought up by his grandmother and his young mother until the age of 10 when he and his brother were taken into care. He began his search for fame in his teenage years as a singer on the club circuit. | Glitter was born Paul Gadd in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in 1944. He never met his father and was brought up by his grandmother and his young mother until the age of 10 when he and his brother were taken into care. He began his search for fame in his teenage years as a singer on the club circuit. |
| His early attempts to break into the charts – performing under a number of different names and with different groups – failed and it was only when the glam era began that his ascent to fame as Gary Glitter began. The name was chosen after Gadd worked through the letters of the alphabet looking for an alliterative phrase, having ruled out Terry Tinsel and Stanley Sparkly among others. His first single under the Glitter name, Rock'n'Roll (parts one and two), hit number two in the UK charts in 1972 and topped the US charts, selling over a million copies domestically alone. The following year was his most successful, with two number ones, including I'm The Leader of The Gang (I Am), which became his anthem. More hits followed but as the glam era began to fizzle out, he found himself divorced, bankrupt and struggling with alcohol abuse. He turned to Buddhism, became a vegetarian and made occasional comebacks in the 80s and 90s, enjoying a measure of celebrity touring as a student novelty act. | His early attempts to break into the charts – performing under a number of different names and with different groups – failed and it was only when the glam era began that his ascent to fame as Gary Glitter began. The name was chosen after Gadd worked through the letters of the alphabet looking for an alliterative phrase, having ruled out Terry Tinsel and Stanley Sparkly among others. His first single under the Glitter name, Rock'n'Roll (parts one and two), hit number two in the UK charts in 1972 and topped the US charts, selling over a million copies domestically alone. The following year was his most successful, with two number ones, including I'm The Leader of The Gang (I Am), which became his anthem. More hits followed but as the glam era began to fizzle out, he found himself divorced, bankrupt and struggling with alcohol abuse. He turned to Buddhism, became a vegetarian and made occasional comebacks in the 80s and 90s, enjoying a measure of celebrity touring as a student novelty act. |
| Adverts for Heinz soup and British Rail kept him in the spotlight before his public image came crashing down when he was jailed for four months, serving half the sentence, in 1999 after admitting possessing a collection of 4,000 hardcore photographs of children being abused. | Adverts for Heinz soup and British Rail kept him in the spotlight before his public image came crashing down when he was jailed for four months, serving half the sentence, in 1999 after admitting possessing a collection of 4,000 hardcore photographs of children being abused. |
| In later life, Glitter was reported to have been living in Spain and then Cuba, before moving to south-east Asia, where he was jailed for child sex offences in Vietnam in 2006. Glitter had always maintained he was innocent of the charges. He returned to the UK in 2008. | In later life, Glitter was reported to have been living in Spain and then Cuba, before moving to south-east Asia, where he was jailed for child sex offences in Vietnam in 2006. Glitter had always maintained he was innocent of the charges. He returned to the UK in 2008. |
| The 68-year-old now faces further police questions in connection with Scotland Yard's investigation into allegations of sex abuse by Jimmy Savile. | The 68-year-old now faces further police questions in connection with Scotland Yard's investigation into allegations of sex abuse by Jimmy Savile. |
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