Joe Strummer - The Clash

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Joe Strummer had a deep interest in American culture and a fascination with African American music. On many occasions he refered to New York as his second home and the vibrant atmosphere in the city in the late 1970s and early '80s was a huge source of inspiration to him and The Clash. Hip hop was emerging as a new musical force and The Clash were amongst the first rock and roll acts to embrace it.

Despite heavy touring of their 1983 'Combat Rock' album, which contained the classics 'Rock the Casbah' and 'Should I Stay or Should I Go', the band were starting to experience the characteristic tensions of a touring rock and roll band; their appearance at the US Festival in California later that summer was their last major live appearance.

Joe Strummer spent much of his twenties busking on the streets of London and performning with his first band, the 101'ers. It was not until he saw the Sex Pistols in 1976 that he decided to break up his band and pursue a more hard-edged sound with Mick Jones and Paul Simenon's band the London SS, which were renamed The Clash. Although the Pistols may have been the first British punk band of note, it was the Clash who became the defintive British punk rockers and their fiery idealism was greeted with huge popularity in the USA.