u/hairiestlemon

The brown stuff is meant to be hair. Within the dream, I was (I think) a cardinal preparing for a papal conclave.

On this day in 1942, Ian Robins Dury was born in Harrow, Middlesex. His father was often absent due to work, and Ian and his mother moved around frequently. At the age of seven, he contracted polio, probably from a swimming pool in the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea in Essex. The disease caused paralysis on the left side of his body, resulting in a withered arm and a reliance on a walking stick.

After a few years with the band Kilburn and the High Roads, he had his mainstream breakout with the single 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll' in August 1977. He released his debut album, 'New Boots and Panties!!', a month later. Shortly after this, he and his band began performing as Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and they had several hits in the UK.

One of Dury's most controversial songs was 'Spasticus Autisticus', released in August 1981. 'Spastic' was originally a relatively formal term for someone with cerebral palsy, but by the 1980s, it had become an ableist slur and common insult in the UK. As you can probably guess based on the title, the song is pretty provocative—but he wrote it for a reason. 1981 had been declared 'The International Year of Disabled Persons' by the UN, which Dury considered deeply patronising. The song is a scathing indictment of the condescending, dismissive way disabled people are treated and the expectation for them to be grateful for the bare minimum: "You can read my body, but you'll never read my books." The BBC were outraged and banned it from airplay, as did several other radio stations. Thirty-one years later, it was played at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

Sadly, Dury didn't live to see it—he died of cancer in 2000, aged just 57. Despite his relatively short musical career, he left an indelible mark on the British music scene, and his son Baxter ultimately followed in his footsteps, becoming a musician himself. On what would have been Ian's 84th birthday, I encourage everyone to listen to his music, watch his interviews, and read his words.