Steven John Bator
(October 22, 1949 – June 3, 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
and
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, relocated 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.
Inspired by the
reckless antics of
Iggy Pop,
Bators engaged in
dangerous onstage behavior
with
the Dead Boys
and later with the
Lords of the New Church.
The Lords recorded
three studio albums
with IRS records.
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 3, 1990,
Bators was crossing the street
in Paris when a
taxicab hit him
and knocked him down.
Not believing he was
seriously injured,
he 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.
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.
