Poly Styrene Dead at 53

“Poly Styrene”s voice on “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!” was the most exhilarating voice I ever heard.”
-Kim Gordon

With all due respect to my pal Joan Jett, Poly Styrene was the first Riot Grrl. Her groundbreaking work with the late-70s punk band X-Ray Spex made it apparent that girls could be as brash as the boys and still have that feminine touch. While less sexual than her American counterpart Debbie Harry, Poly Styrene's day-glo colors, adult braces and unrestrained pogo-ing made her that chick every dude wanted to hang out with like a homeboy. Until about three in the morning when everyone fell asleep but you and her and you could finally make out just the way you'd been imagining since...

Sorry; maybe that was just me.

With lyrics focusing on social mores and the dowfalls of commercialism and normalcy, Poly laid the groundwork for modern day grrls like Kathleen Hanna to look sexy while scaring the shit out of you. In a good way? While X-Ray Spex lasted about as long as the fad they were named for, Poly continued to follow her own path and joined the Hare Krishna movement and explored her spirituality. But she'll probably be best remembered for her immortal opening lines to her most popular song. "Little girls should be seen and not heard," she would snarl, "But I say, 'Oh Bondage! Up Yours!'"

Poly Styrene's death was announced on her website and later confirmed by her manager and publications more reliable than this one. She passed peacefully in her sleep on Monday at the age of 53 and had been treated for breast cancer at a hospice near her home in the south of England.

Tomorrow will be X-Ray Spex day at the fatlittlemonkey offices and we suggest you do the same.