71 Facts About Gary Glitter

Gary Glitter's career ended after he was imprisoned for downloading child pornography in 1999.

Gary Glitter became known for his energetic live performances and extremely glam rock image of glitter suits, make-up, and platform boots.

Gary Glitter sold over 20 million records and had 26 hit singles which spent a total of 180 weeks in the UK Singles Chart, with 12 reaching the top 10 and three of those charting at number one.

Gary Glitter's popularity waned in the late 1970s, followed by a successful comeback as a solo artist from the 1980s; his 1984 song "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" is one of the most played Christmas songs of all time.

Gary Glitter released seven studio albums and at least 15 albums of compilations and live performances.

BBC News described Gary Glitter's fall from grace as "dramatic" and "spectacular".

Gary Glitter's image became irreparably tarnished following his 1997 arrest and 1999 conviction and imprisonment for downloading thousands of child pornography images and videos.

Gary Glitter was released on licence in February 2023 after serving half of his sentence in prison, but recalled to prison in March of the same year after breaching the conditions of his licence.

In 2015, Gary Glitter was described by music journalist Alexis Petridis as a "public hate figure".

Gary Glitter never knew his father, while his mother worked as a cleaner and was unmarried; she initially brought him up with the help of her mother.

Gary Glitter was hard to control and was taken into local authority care at the age of 10, along with his brother.

Gary Glitter frequently ran away to London, visiting the nightclubs where he would later launch his career.

Gary Glitter's career grew as he appeared at such venues as the Two I's, in Soho, and the Laconda and Safari Clubs.

Gary Glitter's repertoire consisted of early rock and roll standards and gentle ballads.

Gary Glitter did numerous television commercials and film auditions, and in the course of those activities met arranger and record producer Mike Leander, who eventually helped revive his career.

Gary Glitter auditioned for the role of the protagonist in the film Privilege, which was written and directed by Peter Watkins, known for the television drama The War Game.

Gary Glitter was then deputised to produce a few recording sessions by such artists as Thane Russell and a Scottish freakbeat band, the Poets.

Gary Glitter sang the role of a priest in the original 1970 concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The song that made Gary Glitter's name began as a 15-minute jam session; whittled down to a pair of three-minute extracts it was released in 1972 as the A-side and B-sides of a single called "Rock and Roll, Parts 1 and 2".

Gary Glitter released several singles which became UK Top 10 hits, with "I'm the Leader of the Gang " being his first single to reach the number-one position in the summer of 1973, and "I Love You Love Me Love", its follow-up, his second.

Gary Glitter had eleven consecutive Top 10 singles, from "Rock and Roll, Parts 1 and 2" in 1972 to "Doing Alright with the Boys" in the summer of 1975.

Gary Glitter had one more entry on the US charts with "I Didn't Know I Loved You "; after that, the closest chart success for Gary Glitter was a cover recording of "I'm the Leader of the Gang " by Brownsville Station.

Gary Glitter's next release was a cover of the Rivingtons' novelty nonsensical doo-wop song "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow", but it got no higher than No 38 on the British charts.

Gary Glitter took a two-year-long exile, living in France and Australia, before returning to the UK, and beginning his comeback.

Gary Glitter's career took a downturn towards the end of the 1970s, leading him to declare bankruptcy in 1977, though he later blamed the high tax rate in the UK at the time.

Gary Glitter entered bankruptcy a second time over unpaid tax in the 1990s.

Around this time, Gary Glitter settled into being a performer with a niche following that continued until his conviction for downloading child pornography in 1999.

Gary Glitter's comeback was boosted in the 1980s by various guest spots and collaborations.

In due course, Gary Glitter re-cut "Rock and Roll" with producer Trevor Horn and "I'm the Leader of the Gang " with Girlschool.

In 1987 Gary Glitter received a ten-year driving ban and narrowly escaped imprisonment after a third conviction for drink driving.

Gary Glitter opened a restaurant near Leicester Square in 1991, with Gary's Glitter Bar being promoted under the slogan "Leader of the Snack", but the restaurant closed a few years later.

Gary Glitter launched his own record label in the early 1990s, Attitude Records, after he lost his deal with Virgin Records.

Gary Glitter had signed to Virgin after leaving Arista Records in 1984 after twelve years with the label.

Gary Glitter spent the next decade mostly as an in-demand live performer, and his back catalogue of recordings proved durable enough for several compilations to be successfully released.

Gary Glitter appeared in billboard and poster advertisements for British Rail, in one of which he was shown attempting to look younger to obtain a Young Persons Railcard.

Gary Glitter released a new studio album Leader II in 1991.

Gary Glitter was the subject of an episode of This is Your Life in 1992.

Gary Glitter was a surprise hit at the 1994 FIFA World Cup concert in Chicago, which was telecast live to forty-six countries.

Gary Glitter played the Godfather in the 1996 revival tour of the Who's Quadrophenia.

Gary Glitter released a new single, a cover version of "The House of the Rising Sun".

Gary Glitter toured amongst other places, Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Armenia.

Gary Glitter undertook a world tour, performing in Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Gary Glitter continued to tour until 1976, and his temporary retirement from music.

Gary Glitter did shows in Ireland, Germany, France, America and Bahrain.

In 2005, Gary Glitter had been living in Vietnam without the knowledge of the authorities.

Gary Glitter was an influence on a number of musicians and genres from the 1970s onwards, especially British punk, post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, Britpop and glam metal.

Gary Glitter had homes in London and Wedmore at the time of his arrest in 1997.

Gary Glitter was banned from driving for 10 years in 1986 following a conviction for drink driving.

On 20 January 2008, the News of the World reported that Gary Glitter had suffered a severe heart attack.

In November 1997, Gary Glitter was arrested after a technician discovered pornographic images of children on the hard drive of a laptop that he had taken to a computer retailer in Bristol to be repaired.

Gary Glitter was castigated in the media over the allegations; additionally, his appearance in the Spice Girls' musical comedy film Spice World was cut, though a truncated edit of the scene, featuring a cover of "I'm the Leader of the Gang ", was retained.

Gary Glitter lived at Sotogrande in Andalusia for six months on his yacht, which was moored at the marina.

Gary Glitter told the locals that his name was Larry Brilliante and spent his time frequenting local bars and surfing the Internet.

From March 2005, Gary Glitter resided in Vung Tau, Vietnam, where he rented a luxury seaside villa and applied for permanent Vietnamese residency.

Gary Glitter came to the attention of Vietnamese authorities after being banned from a nightclub for allegedly groping a teenage waitress; eyewitnesses reported seeing him take two young girls into his home.

Gary Glitter was held in jail throughout the criminal investigation, which was completed on 26 December 2005.

On 2 March 2006, Gary Glitter was tried on charges of committing obscene acts with two girls, aged 10 and 11, facing up to 14 years in prison if convicted.

Gary Glitter said that he had hoped to put his life back on track and have a career after he left prison in England.

Gary Glitter continued to blame the press for his downfall and called them "the worst enemy in the world," alleging that they had paid girls in a bar to arrange a photo scoop.

Gary Glitter did not comment about his previous conviction for downloading child pornography several years earlier.

Gary Glitter shared a cell with 18 other foreign inmates and was exempted from hard labour because of his age.

In January 2008, after being taken to a prison clinic for treatment of intestinal problems, tests showed that Gary Glitter had an irregular heartbeat.

Gary Glitter was taken to a hospital in Phan Thiet, where he was kept under police guard.

Gary Glitter was visited in hospital by officials from the British embassy.

Gary Glitter was escorted under police guard to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and put on a flight to London via Bangkok.

On 25 June 2008, The Daily Telegraph reported that Gary Glitter planned to record a new album after his prison release.

Gary Glitter was remanded in custody at HM Prison Wandsworth prior to his sentencing.

In May 2015, Gary Glitter began an appeal against his convictions.

On 17 November 2015, Gary Glitter's appeal was denied by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that there was nothing unsafe about the conviction.

From 2015 to 2018, Gary Glitter was incarcerated at HM Prison Albany.

On 13 March 2023, Gary Glitter was recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions.