Mark E. Smith

Mark Edward Smith (5 March 1957 – 24 January 2018) was an English singer and songwriter best known as the lead singer, lyricist and only constant member of the post-punk group the Fall, which he led from 1976 until his death.Smith formed The Fall after attending a Sex Pistols gig at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in June 1976.During their 42-year existence, the Fall's line-up included some 60 musicians who with Smith released 32 studio albums and many singles and EPs.His best-known recordings include "Totally Wired" and "Hit the North". Smith had a difficult and complex personality and was a long-term heavy drinker.He was known for his biting and targeted wit, evident in interviews, for which he was much in demand by music journalists throughout his career.He was deeply suspicious of the trappings of fame and largely avoided socialising with music scene associates.The dark and sardonic aspect of his personality often seeped into his lyrics, and he especially sought to deride music industry people.Smith's approach to music was unconventional: he did not have a high regard for musicianship, stating that "rock & roll isn’t even music really. It's a mistreating of instruments to get feelings over" —a view that contributed to the Fall's high turnover of musicians. The Fall are regarded as one of the most important and influential post-punk bands.Although Smith was notoriously difficult to work with, he was revered by fans and critics during his lifetime, and was described as a "strange kind of antimatter national treasure".