Biography
Born Stuart Leslie Goddard, 3 November 1954, London, England. After an initially chequered, then immensely successful career leading Adam And The Ants, Goddard went solo in early 1982. For support, he retained old musical partner Marco Pirroni and relaunched himself with the frantic "Goody Two Shoes", which hit number 1 in the UK in May. The average "Friend Or Foe" followed at number 9, but thereafter the spell was broken. Phil Collins was recruited as producer to halt Adam's sudden decline and the pantomime-influenced "Puss In Boots" duly made the Top 5. The revival was only temporary, however, and by the end of 1983, Adam's chart career was practically non-existent. The original god of the "New Pop" seemed commercially bankrupt, his place taken by new idols such as Duran Duran, Culture Club and Wham!. Even an appearance at Live Aid in 1985 with "Vive Le Rock" could only produce a number 50 UK chart entry and Goddard switched adroitly to acting. A surprise chart comeback (number 13) in 1990 with "Room At The Top" appeared a lucky strike and did not seriously distract the singer from his thespian pursuits. A new album in 1995, promoted by concert appearances in West London, provoked further media saturation and good reviews, but little in terms of record sales. The next time Ant made the news was in a distressing series of incidents in the London area in January 2002, following which he was legally confined at the Royal Free Hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act. He pleaded guilty to affray charges in August, and was sentenced to a year's community service and rehabilitation treatment in October. He was arrested again the following June.
Discography:
Friend Or Foe (CBS/Epic 1982)***, Strip (CBS/Epic 1983)**, Vive Le Rock (CBS/Epic 1985)**, Manners & Physique (MCA 1990)**, Wonderful (EMI/Capitol 1995)***.
Compilations:
Hits (CBS 1986)***, Antics In The Forbidden Zone (Columbia 1990)***, The Collection (Castle 1991)***, Antmusic: The Very Best Of Adam Ant (Arcade 1993)***, B-Side Babies (Epic/Legacy 1994)***, Super Hits (Epic/Legacy 1998)***, The Very Best Of Adam And The Ants (Columbia 1999)***, Antbox 3-CD box set (Columbia 2000)***.
Videography:
Prince Charming Revue (CBS Video 1982), Live In Japan aka Live In Tokyo (CBS Video/Arcade 1982), Hits (CBS/Fox Video 1986), Antmusic: The Very Best Of Adam Ant (Arcade Video 1993), AntVideo (Columbia 2000).
Bibliography:
Adam And The Ants, Mike West. Adam And The Ants, Chris Welch. Adam And The Ants, Fred and Judy Vermorel. Adam Ant Tribal Rock Special, Martha Rodriguez (design). The Official Adam Ant Story, James Maw. Adam And The Ants Kings: The Official Adam And The Ants Song Book, Stephen Lavers.
Filmography:
Jubilee (1977), Nomads (1986), Slamdance (1987), Cold Steel (1987), World Gone Wild (1988), Spellcaster (1988), Trust Me (1989), Sunset Heat aka Midnight Heat (1991), Love Bites (1993), Acting On Impulse aka Eyes Of A Stranger (1993), Drop Dead Rock (1995), Desert Winds (1995), Cyber Bandits (1995), Lover's Knot (1996), Sweetwater (1999).
Music Albums
B-Side Babies
Legacy Recordings
09/27/1994
Wonderful
Capitol/EMI Records
03/07/1995
Super Hits
Epic
01/27/1998
Goody Two Shoes
Sony Music Special Products
09/30/2002
The Essential Adam Ant *
Legacy Recordings
04/01/2003
Antics In The Forbidden Zone
Legacy Rock Artifacts Series
10/30/1990
Friend Or Foe
Epic
07/01/1986
Manners And Physique
MCA Records
02/06/1990
Strip
Epic
08/21/1984
Vive Le Rock
Epic
04/02/1996
Source: Encyclopedia of Popular Music
