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Former Clash Members, Robbie Williams Line Up For Ian Dury Benefit
LONDON -- Some of Britain's most popular artists, including Robbie Williams , Saffron from Republica, Neneh Cherry and three original members of the Clash, are to take part in an upcoming benefit for deceased Blockheads frontman Ian Dury .
"A Tribute to Ian Dury" will take place on June 16 at London's Brixton Academy, and all proceeds raised will be donated to the British charity CancerBacup, for whom Dury was the spokesperson. Dury died on March 27 after battling colon cancer since 1998.
Dury's "pub rock" band the Blockheads, who were popular in the U.K. at the end of the '70s with songs like "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," will headline the show.
The concert will mark the first time that Clash members Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and Topper Headon have played on the same stage since Headon left the group in 1982. Although each is scheduled to perform solo, the possibility of a Clash reunion has not been rejected.
Robbie Williams said of the tribute, "Having been privileged to have spent a bit of time with Ian, it is an honor to perform in a concert bearing his name."
Other musicians on the bill include Suggs from ska band Madness and '80s pop singer Kirsty MacColl. One more main act is to be confirmed.
Ian Dury was 28 when he formed his first band Kilburn & the High Roads in 1970. After they disbanded, he formed disco-punk-pop outfit Ian Dury & the Blockheads with pianist-guitarist Chaz Jankel in 1977. Released the same year, the group's first album "New Boots and Panties!!" secured their cult status in the U.K. Conversely, poor U.S. sales resulted in them being swiftly dropped by their U.S. label Arista.
