Grosse Pointe Black

As frontman and main songwriter of the Clash, Joe Strummer created some of the fieriest, most vital punk rock – and, indeed, rock & roll – of all time. Strummer expanded punk's musical palette with his fondness for reggae and early rock & roll, and his signature bellow lent an impassioned urgency to the political sloganeering that filled some of his best songs. After the Clash disbanded in 1986, Strummer sporadically pursued film acting and released the occasional solo album, though seemingly only when it suited him. Joe Strummer was born John Graham Mellor on August 21, 1952, when his father, a diplomat, was stationed in Ankara, Turkey. During his time at London boarding schools, the teenage Strummer immersed himself in rock and reggae, and began busking on the streets under his newly adopted stage name. In 1974, he formed the pub rock group the 101'ers, and though they rocked pretty hard, they couldn't quite match the raw fire Strummer discovered when he saw Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols.