On This Day

Gary Glitter

Musician

Born: British

Paul Francis Gadd, better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is a British former singer who achieved fame and success during the 1970s and 1980s. His career ended after his 1999 conviction of downloading child pornography. He was also convicted of child sexual abuse in 2006 and a series of sexual offences (including attempted rape) in 2015.

After performing under the name Paul Raven during the 1960s, Gadd changed his stage name to Gary Glitter in the early 1970s and had a sustained solo career with his hits "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)", "Do You Wanna Touch Me", "I Love You Love Me Love", "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", and "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again". He became known for his energetic live performances and glam rock persona of glitter suits, make-up, and platform boots. He has sold over 20 million records and had 26 hit singles, which spent a total of 180 weeks in the UK Singles Chart, with 12 reaching the top 10 and three of those charting at number one. Touch Me (1973) is Glitter's best-selling album, peaking at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. As of 2001, he was listed in the top 100 most successful UK chart acts.

Notable For

British musician and sex offender

Gary Glitter's Historical Timeline

  1. Gary Glitter is born

    Gary Glitter, British musician, known for british musician and sex offender, was born on 1945-05-08.

  2. 70s glam-rock star Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) arrested by British police in child porn probe

    70s glam-rock star Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) arrested by British police in child porn probe

Associated Historical Events

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Gary Glitter born?
Gary Glitter was born on 1945-05-08 (British).
What is Gary Glitter known for?
British musician and sex offender
What historical events involved Gary Glitter?
Gary Glitter was involved in 2 recorded historical events, including Gary Glitter is born, 70s glam-rock star Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) arrested by British police in child porn probe.

Related Years