Patrik Fitzgerald

Born in London in 1958, singer/songwriter Patrik Fitzgerald ranked among the most memorable of the so-called "punk poets." He debuted in 1977 with the EP Safety Pin Stuck in My Heart, a collection combining the outrage of punk with a streak of optimism rare for its time and place; indeed, Fitzgerald's sincere attitude and eccentric appearance — commonly, a badge-cluttered blazer, red drainpipe trousers and sandals — set him squarely apart from his new wave brethren, and he was frequently the target of considerable derision from elitist audiences.

Regardless, Fitzgerald soldiered on, issuing the Backstreet Boys EP in 1978. In 1979 he signed to Polydor, recording his first LP Grabby Stories with the aid of the Buzzcocks' John Maher. When neither 1982's Gifts and Telegrams nor 1984's Drifting Toward Violence caught on with audiences, he made an overt bid for commercial success with 1986's Tunisia Twist; when it too failed, Fitzgerald turned to waiting tables at the House of Commons, ultimately moving to Normandy in 1988. Three years later he returned to London, launching an acting career as well as resurfacing for a series of club dates.