Ian Curtis' suicide & the British media

Hello,

For my study journalism in The Netherlands I'm doing research on how the British media reported Ian Curtis' death in May 1980. I was hoping that anyone here might know a little bit more about it, since I have had all the accessible news paper databases in The Netherlands, without succes so far.

What I'm looking for is newspaper articles, magazines, radio and tv items, basically everything saying Ian Curtis has recently passed away.

If anyone knows a little bit more about this, could you please send me an e-mail at lenny.boschman@student.hu.nl?

Thank you very much!

Lenny

jeezus christ, 25 yrs ago and people still can't let it go.

but on the serious side, i don't think it was heavily covered. IC became more famous after death.

I don't want to know more about Curtis or his death or why he did it, but more about the way the press handled it. I am doing it for a course called 'British Media'. Just to lighten things up.

Initially, UK media coverage amounted to John Peel "bit of bad news for you, it seems Ian Curtis of Joy Division has died".

Compare that to a 6 week season of bollox after thon fat cunt Presley couped.

Thank you, that might help me a little bit in the direction. Do you mind explaining that last sentence a bit?

I am sorry for being such n00b, but I spent too many hours researching papers today.

"Ian Wilson has died"

There's some scans of the newspaper reports in David Nolan's book about Bernard Sumner.

Other than that there's all the music press cuttings from the time .Those are available in the History In Cuttings do da that's periodically put up on here for download.

Lenny Boschman wrote: Thank you, that might help me a little bit in the direction. Do you mind explaining that last sentence a bit?

I am sorry for being such n00b, but I spent too many hours researching papers today.

All the Tv and Radio stations went WAY over the top when Elvis died. Sorry I really should try speaking proper english when addressing someone who doesn't have it as their first language. (actually most of the natives can't understand me either, me and Rocket MICK)

i sure wouldnt know where to look.

Doctor? wrote:

Lenny Boschman wrote: Thank you, that might help me a little bit in the direction. Do you mind explaining that last sentence a bit?

I am sorry for being such n00b, but I spent too many hours researching papers today.

All the Tv and Radio stations went WAY over the top when Elvis died. Sorry I really should try speaking proper english when addressing someone who doesn't have it as their first language. (actually most of the natives can't understand me either, me and Rocket MICK is ACE)

ELVIS and Rocket Mick-LEGENDS

Didnt Tony Wilson get the town cryer of Chester to announce his death? It was in 24hr party people but wether it was real or made up I dont know.

I doubt that very much.

Don't think you can take an event's inclusion in 24HPP as evidence of it happening... Especially since the film goes out its way to highlight the fiction of parts of it... (Devoto screwing Wilson's wife, for example)...

Snorri xxx

The press weren't too interested because something else happened to hog the sheets

Simply put there was nothing in the British Media, buggar all if I remember, the only papers that gave it any attention were of course the Music Papers i.e. The New Musical Express, Sounds and Melody Maker and also er Record Mirror. So there you have it, Joy Division and Ian Curtis were not news or famous and the bit in 24 Hour Party People never happened! So in a nutshell that's it, simply put there was no media coverage,they were not a big band that had had no hit singles and his death really went un-noticed in our pop friendly world! Even when LWTUA was out the video was only shown once if I recall and I missed it cuz it was on a kiddies show and not Tiswas as has been incorrectly stated. The death of Ian Curtis is now greater in the minds of the public at large and the media than when he died, and did I tell you that I have his Kitchen Table!!!! Oh the Irony!!!!

i have the clothesline. Beat that!!

El Jarvo wrote:

Doctor? wrote: All the Tv and Radio stations went WAY over the top when Elvis died.

Be fair though, Cambo. Elvis was/is an absolute legend, well known the entire world over. In fact, possibly the most famous person in the world at the time he died?

I was nine when he passed on. I remember exactly where I was and remember the reaction of my family in that room. It's one of the few 'where were you when...' moments I'll never forget in my life.

Really, there's no comparison between the death of Elvis and the death of Curtis.

Of course, I didn't hate Curtis.

I too remember hearing of his demise, and my mum going into shock (always amused me how people could be shocked that a hugely overweight drug addict could pop off suddenly).

When Ian failed to invent bungee jumping, my head was full of big volcanos. Wilson only got a minor Earthquake, Ian got St Helens.

FCUK all in the DARWEN advertiser!

His footprints are still on the Table, beat that

Papers mostly couldnt give a toss except for maybe the guardian every so often. In fact I think there was more coverage given to that oaf Hutchence when he died of nothing more than an asphyxia-wank.

his death was reported in the manchester evening news as was details of his inquest.didt keep copies of these,

for these days

I vividly remember Ian Curtis' suicide being mentioned in the BBC1 primetime Saturday evening female-cop drama "Juliet Bravo" set in Lancashire

There was a stereo-typical gloomy youth sat listening to music and the police came over to question him, or his mum for something..

Policewoman: "what you listening to?" Gloomy Youth: "Joy Division" Policewoman: "Oh I see - are they still going?" Gloomy Youth: "No - the singer just killed himself"

Wasn't there some kind of journalist strike on at the time which contributed to a lack of reporting generally?

JD at the time were still relatively unknown to the outside world so I wouldn't have expected much reporting in any case. Maybe just a passing mention in the music column.

the n.m .e was on a 6 week strike,, its lead piece upon return was a front page and mid paper section on ian written by mr morley.

dont walk away in silence

a bit strange that people get a bit narky that ian's death didnt get the same attention as someone like elvis or even hutchence. ian curtis was a complete unknown to 99.9% of the uk, elvis was known by 100% of the world, i was 6 when he died and i knew who he was (and yes i think everyone knows he was fat when he died, but he was a rather excellent singer/performer before the declining years and did far more for music than ian ever could) and as for hutchence, as shite as i think his group were they were still pretty massive and the guy rodgered wee kylie for frig sake ,opened her up (so to speak) sexually.

ROCKET MICK wrote: FCUK all in the DARWEN advertiser!

Ditto the North Cheshire Herald...

El Jarvo wrote:

Doctor? wrote: All the Tv and Radio stations went WAY over the top when Elvis died.

Be fair though, Cambo. Elvis was/is an absolute legend, well known the entire world over. In fact, possibly the most famous person in the world at the time he died?

I was nine when he passed on. I remember exactly where I was and remember the reaction of my family in that room. It's one of the few 'where were you when...' moments I'll never forget in my life.

Really, there's no comparison between the death of Elvis and the death of Curtis.

Elvis "...was/is an absolute legend"?! Elvis was a cock who spent his last years eating ice cream, bananas and jam from hollowed out loafs of bread, flying around America as a narcotics agent for the FBI, and falling off toilets - ALLEGEDLY!

To my mind when Ian Curtis died he was at the top of his game, well, his table at least...

PRETTY SURE IT WAS THE FRONT COVER OF THE NME WITH BIG CURTIS SMOKING PICTURE

I CUT IT OUT AND BACKED MY ENGLISH SCHOOL BOOK IN IT, THEN COVERED IT IT IN PLASTIC TO KEEP IT

SOME BASTARD PENNED IT

IT WAS BIG IN MY CIRCLE BACK THEN BISHOP

noorder wrote:

El Jarvo wrote:

Doctor? wrote: All the Tv and Radio stations went WAY over the top when Elvis died.

Be fair though, Cambo. Elvis was/is an absolute legend, well known the entire world over. In fact, possibly the most famous person in the world at the time he died?

I was nine when he passed on. I remember exactly where I was and remember the reaction of my family in that room. It's one of the few 'where were you when...' moments I'll never forget in my life.

Really, there's no comparison between the death of Elvis and the death of Curtis.

Elvis "...was/is an absolute legend"?! Elvis was a cock who spent his last years eating ice cream, bananas and jam from hollowed out loafs of bread, flying around America as a narcotics agent for the FBI, and falling off toilets - ALLEGEDLY!

To my mind when Ian Curtis died he was at the top of his game, well, his table at least...

didnt realise you knew elvis so well.