When you think of ‘Black & Punk’ one of the first names to jump into the moshpit is Poly Styrene. As the singer of 70’s British punk band ‘X-Ray Spex’, Poly Styrene’s powerful voice is mind-blowing on the band’s four singles and one studio album ‘Germfree Adolescents’. Poly, whose given name was Marianne Joan Elliot-Said, left ‘X-Ray Spex’ to care for her mental health but returned to music no worse for wear. Her later musical contributions maintain her bold spirit and are bursting with musical exploration. She went on to record two solo albums, an EP, and several singles. She was a punk rock soul that inspired the musical movement and would not be shackled to anyone’s idea of what a woman should be. A loud, creative, feminist punk rock role model who left the world better (& louder) than before she came into it. Sadly, Poly Styrene passed away from cancer in April of 2011, shortly after releasing her album ‘Generation Indigo’. No time like the present to appreciate the path paved for every punk rocker—not just female punks—by Poly Styrene.
