My mum Poly Styrene, a punk iconTRACK

Sound

My mum Poly Styrene, a punk icon

37:30 duration0 plays0 favoritesMedium quality
Play now

About this track

Celeste Bell's mother Poly Styrene was a punk icon who'd made her mark on music history before Celeste was even born. Her distinctive voice, neon outfits and mixed race heritage made her stand out in a punk scene that was dominated by white men, clad in dark colours and studs. Celeste tells Anu Anand about Poly Styrene's rise to fame with her band X-Ray Spex, why it all fell apart and what it was like to sing with her onstage before she died in 2011. Celeste has made a film about her mum called I am a Cliche. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.comPresenter: Anu Anand Producer: Deiniol Buxton(Photo: Poly Styrene of punk band X-Ray Spex performs on stage at the Roundhouse, London, England, on January 15th, 1978. Credit: Gus Stewart/ Redferns/ Getty Images)

From the album

The Outlook Podcast Archive album coverThe Outlook Podcast Archive25 tracks · Track 17

Extraordinary first-person stories from around the world. An archive of Outlook podcasts from 2016-2...

→

More By BBC World Service...

You may also like