Adam Ant

• Genre: New Wave
• Hometown: London
• Adam Ant Website

About

Before embarking on a solo career, Adam Ant (born Stuart Goddard) fronted the band that bore his name, making his mark during England's punk era via one mostly overlooked album, Dirk Wears White Socks. A radical makeover and a new band ushered Ant into the 1980s with a series of successful singles, including "Ant Music," "Prince Charming" and "Stand And Deliver." He went solo in 1982, and immediately hit pay dirt with "Goody Two Shoes." By 1984, however, Ant's career was on the outs, and the Londoner turned to acting. He came back into the public eye briefly in 1995, with a surprise hit, "Wonderful," from the album by the same name. Nothing more was heard from the star until early 2002, when he was arrested in an assault incident supposedly involving a firearm in a London pub. Ant was admitted into a psychiatric hospital to evaluate whether or not he was competent to stand trail on the charges. Following a 12-month community service sentence, Ant made headlines again in August 2003 with news of yet another arrest, and once again his mental stability was publicly questioned. Regardless of his mental state, Ant has shown passion for a new cause: gorillas. He re-recorded "Stand And Deliver" as "Save the Gorillas" in an effort to call attention to the species' dwindling population, and he spent the better part of an hour talking on U.K. radio about subjects ranging from his arrests, his mental health, Malcolm McLaren and, of course, gorillas.

- Linda Ryan