Ian Dury
5 catalogued objects connected to Ian Dury.
Biography
Person.
Ian Dury (1942–2000) was an English singer-songwriter, actor and art-school wit who made the everyday language of London feel musical. After fronting Kilburn and the High Roads, he found his ideal foil in Chaz Jankel and the musicians who became the Blockheads.
New Boots and Panties!! set the tone: funk, rock, music hall and sharply drawn characters, delivered in a voice nobody could mistake for anyone else’s. “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick” reached number one, while “Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3” and “What a Waste” turned lists, jokes and street observation into pop hooks.
Dury could be funny, abrasive and unexpectedly tender—often in the same song.
Reviewed 2026-08-26Selected sources
- Official Charts — Ian DuryDury’s 1942–2000 life dates, polio, art teaching, Kilburn and the High Roads, formation of the Blockheads, principal recordings, acting and official UK chart record.
- The Blockheads — Ian Dury and the Blockheads 1977–2000Formation of the Blockheads around New Boots and Panties!!, touring and recording history, the 1979 number-one single and Dury’s final period of performances.
PER-5FB616C729E4880D
Represented across objects dated 1980–1986.
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