Gene October

Gene October (born John Peter O'Hara)[1] is a British vocalist and songwriter who was a formative figure in London's punk rock movement in the late 1970s.[2]

Music career

In 1976, October was involved in the creation of the venue The Roxy, when he suggested to the management of a West London nightclub called Shageramas that they convert the venue into a centre for the new punk rock scene to coalesce around.[3] Later, he briefly managed a club called Revolution No.9, and subsequently was employed as an A&R man for Miles Copeland III's IRS Records label.

October was the singer/frontman of the original London retro-rock & roll band Chelsea, which formed in late 1976, also featuring William Broad on guitar and Tony James on bass.[4] The band's repertoire at this time consisted primarily of cover versions of 1960s Beatles and Rolling Stones songs, but they broke up after only a few weeks and a handful of live performances, due to a clash of personalities. Broad, James, and drummer John Towe left October onstage during a live gig, eventually going on to form Generation X.[5] In early 1977, October assembled a new line-up of Chelsea, which released numerous records and sustained many personnel changes.

From the mid-1980s to the 1990s, he was a solo artist, releasing two singles and a 1995 album entitled Life and Struggle.[3] Since 1999, he has intermittently recorded and toured with Chelsea, including their 40th anniversary tour in 2016.[6]

October also acted in two films produced and directed by Derek Jarman. In Jubilee, he played the character Happy Days; and in Caravaggio, he appeared as a fruit-eating model.


Solo artist discography

Singles
  • "Suffering in the Land" (Illegal Records, 1983)
  • "Don't Quit" (Slipped Discs, 1984)

Albums
  • Life and Struggle (Receiver Records, 1995)
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References
  1. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/gene-october
  2. 'Gene October - a fighter who's in it for the long haul', Mid Sussex Times, 12 May 2016.
  3. "The Chelsea Punk Band Home". Chelseapunkband.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  4. Dancing with Myself, Billy Idol, Simon & Schuster, 2014
  5. Interview with Tony James, 'Generation X Anthology', April 2012.
  6. "REVIEW: Gene October – a fighter who's in it for the long haul". Midsussextimes.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
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