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Thursday, 2 January, 2003, 09:55 GMT
Joe Strummer: Your tributes
Joe Strummer, the leader of legendary Seventies punk band The Clash, has died, aged 50.
A spokesman for Strummer confirmed to BBC New Online that the singer died on Sunday, though more details are yet to be confirmed. Strummer became a rock legend in the late 70s when he fronted The Clash, the politically-aware punk group from west London. He helped his band rise to prominence with songs like London Calling and Bankrobber, and they went on to have hits with Should I Stay Or Should I Go and Rock the Casbah. Thank you for your tributes to Joe Strummer. Read a selection of your comments below.
Joe, USA
Thanks for everything, Joe. This Christmas is a very sad one! Hope you're gone straight to Heaven! So long.
Great as Clash records were they were just fantastic as a live band. I'm glad I had the privilege of seeing them in Leeds in 1982. Politically - my favourite story is of Bob Marley listening to the Clash's version of Police and Thieves and then penning Punky-Reggae Party. They had a sincere anti-racism that defined the issue, and helped build RAR as described above to wipe National Front and their cohorts off the political map. "White youth - black youth - better find another solution - why not phone up Robin Hood and ask him for some wealth distribution?" Like everybody else, I'm gutted.
The world has lost a great talent but generations will continue to be inspired by the music and words of Joe Strummer. He will live on eternally in our hearts and minds.
Christoph Haemmerli, Switzerland
I am only 14 and I am a great fan of the Clash. Joe was a very inspirational person, and he is obviously a legend and something special to even my age group.
Terribly sad and ironically bittersweet. I watched my mother transform herself by living the punk life and managing to raise me alone. I am alive and so is she, thank you Joe for all the fond memories. San Francisco was a great Punk Palace!
My father always listened to the Clash and he makes me appreciate their music. I'm sure, besides, that his music will be alive in his fans' hearts.
It came back to me, waking up in the middle of night how much Joe Strummer really meant to us.
Ya'akov Simon, New York, USA
I have no doubt that Strummer's lyrics and music have made me a better person. His is the first passing of a public figure that made me cry.
They were one of the very few bands to combine radical politics with pure Rock 'n Roll energy in a way that made The Clash and Joe Strummer seem like they were inventing a whole new kind of folk music. He will be missed greatly.
Every death is sad. However, Joe Strummer was at best very average.
Ah, The Clash. They made me want to get a Mohawk, an old black leather jacket, and move to London.
What fan doesn't fantasize about playing guitar when listening to London Calling?
Joe Strummer was a rare commodity in the fleeting world of popular music and he led a truly great band who made a huge impact and a huge difference to all who paid the price of admission.
I was 13 in 1978 and the Clash woke me up the real world. I'm now 37 and their music sounds better than ever. That says it all. Part of my youth died on Sunday.
Tomoyuki Yamazaki, Japan
As a teen in the late 70's and 80's I was influenced more by mainstream rock then the punk movement. Having become a little wiser in my later years, I saw Joe with the Pogues at London in the early 90s. They played some old Clash numbers including "London Calling," and I thought, "Boy, I 'missed the boat' on not seeing this band!"
I feel as if it is the end of an era. Peace to you Joe. Thanks to you for gracing this place with all that you gave it. Your light will be missed.
I am shocked, but I am optimistic that one day another Joe Strummer will come along and open our eyes once again.
Joe Strummer, while no longer a living legend was, is and forever will be remembered as one of the great poets and humanitarians of the latter part of the 20th Century. If anything good has come from this awful tragedy it's that he is now receiving the acknowledgements and respect that he deserved all along.
Joe Strummer was Truth, Bless That Man.
The Clash and the Stranglers were the best British punk bands of the 1970s and 80s. Joe Strummer was an accomplished musician who will be sadly missed. Forget Kurt Cobain. This was a true rock & roll singer.
He was a inspiration. A point of reference when I was younger. The Clash were more powerful and influential than the music business that they emerged from. No other generation has had such a fellow to entertain and direct them.
I had the honour of knowing him and talking for several hours over many subjects while we travelled a little, this was 10 years ago. I found him a kind and professional man. God bless you.
Peter Kondrat, Brooklyn USA
Geez! How? Why? A 50 year-old man and a parent! As a parent myself I am exteremely saddened by this news. Not only was Strummer a brilliant observer of society but he represented responsibilty and integrity as well as the credo of headlong, heartfelt artistic expression. I grew up in the early 80's as a teenager; The Clash was one of the only sincere bands that spoke to my generation. Truly a sad day. This isn't right.
As a University Ents promoter in the late 80s, I dreamed of booking a reformed Clash. 20 years on son number one is named after him.
Paul Rutland, England
Just got back into town from my mother in law's funeral and heard the news.
I must say I'm truly depressed.
I think I'll listen to the Clash.
Sandinista's "Something about England" is more relevant today than ever. "Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust" - but we're still missing a star.
All these many years later, the one song that's helped me get through all the insanity that's been going on in the world - most particularly in the USA - has been "The Clampdown." I'm totally stunned...
Thanks for the music Joe.
I'd like to say to all the Clash fans, and people that Joe and the rest of that gang touched in some way, we should not mourn his death, but honour his life. I am in great debt to The Clash as they are the only people that kept me from suicide. Joe was and always will be one of the most talented, wonderful, inspiring men about.
Joe once sung "It's gonna take a nitcomb to get rid of me"- well seems that it didn't.
That big heart that cared about so much of may have, but we'll all treasure the time he got to share with us and his ideals which made us all better people.
Thanks Joe, you taught me what so many politicians can't.
God, I wish the U.S. had a Joe Strummer of its own to keep Bush on his toes. I think the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ought to rethink their induction terms - 25 years from first release is too long to wait for some of these groups to get back together. Had it been 20, we would've had that long-awaited reunion and a proper farewell.
As a youngster I remember being in the same class at school with Paul Simenon (back in South London). The Clash were the most down-to-earth guys you could find...and they didn't fear speaking the truth about what was occurring in world affairs. Although I was never a fan of punk music I always admired the sincerity behind it; Joe's lyrics and musicianship went beyond just "punk"...he was a true poet with a hard hitting message.
The Clash was the first punk band that spoke to me growing up in the conservative state of Kansas. Their music rocked and importantly it had a message. They also exposed the masses to the positive message of reggae music that so influenced many of their later albums. You will be missed Joe. God bless.
In 1979 I was a normal thirteen year-old obsessed with my next consumer product. I then listened to the Clash and have yet to be the same.
I'm sorry he passed away, but to call the noise he made music is ridiculous.
I am kicked in the teeth by this news...but in his honour, I'm compelled to swallow the pain and Get To Work.
Thank you for giving sense to my life, keep on doing that Joe!
Paul Wilson, South London, UK
If I am honest, it was Abba who really did it for me in the 70s. However, the opening chords to London Calling have got to be the most exciting/chilling intro to a song you'll ever hear; it just makes you want to get involved!
Thank you Joe for challenging us to embrace the world, listen to its rhythms, and live in its beauty. You showed so many of us the way.
Joe wrote his own epitaph...
What Are We Gonna Do Now?????
(Clampdown)
Joe seemed true to his word whereas John Lydon went completely against his 'word' and sold out; mind you the Pistols were a boy band.
Joe Strummer was an overrated, pseudo-political pill head who couldn't even write a half decent tune. The Clash's best songs were rip offs from other bands and styles of music. The only thing they were good at was toadying to the Rock Press and posing in front of the lenses.
I agree with everything Billy Bragg said in his excellent tribute. Joe was the greatest, and a big inspiration to many people that have gone on to do great things.
Adrian Green, N Ireland
Saw The Clash at Erics in Liverpool in 1978, Joe swung round with his guitar and knocked my mates glasses off and broke them!!! (We were that close to them!!) He said that he would be back at Erics in 2 weeks and would meet us outside The Cavern across the road. He was there; he took my mate over to the opticians, sorted out a new pair, got us into Erics to see The Clash & The Boomtown Rats. What a man!!
Cait Hurley, London, England
I'm feeling absolutely devastated. I had the privilege of knowing Joe slightly & spending some time hanging out back in the Clash days. They were the best live band I've ever seen and Joe was the real deal. The integrity and soul of the Clash came from him.
He showed us, like Paul Weller did, that lyrics really do matter. Just look at Bankrobber. Not a great tune, but fantastic lyrics. His songs told a story, which is what is missing from today's music
Sue Terry, England. UK
I can still remember the day I brought London Calling. I was only 13 at the time and the Clash sounded so modern and powerful. That was in 1994.
The Clash had that little extra something that distinguishes the truly great bands from the merely good ones. I think it was their total belief in the power of music that gave them that edge. If Mick Jones was the musical genius behind the band, Joe was the heart and soul.
It's a huge loss because it feels so personal. The Clash spoke directly to me, it's like they were always there for you. I'm 40 years old and I'm wondering what I'm going to do without Joe Strummer in my life.
Steve Lambert, USA
Saw the Clash in Soton in 77 with Johnny Thunders Heartbreakers! You just don't get nights like that anymore! Sadly Gone!
What a man. He had integrity and vision. He was anti-racist and anti-capitalist and never hid or denied or turned away from his politics. He was a legend.
I did not always agree with Joe Strummer's politics. In fact, I never agreed with them. But I nonetheless think he was the greatest rock thinker and artist of his generation. A week rarely goes by where I don't listen to London Calling.
Chuck Standiford, Indianapolis, USA
For me his lasting legacy was that he turned so many young people on to the whole pantheon of black music, from reggae to New Orleans R&B (to say nothing of Vintage Rockabilly/Sun records, Proto Rock, Latin music, etc.) that a lot of kids like me would otherwise not have checked out.
The inspiration he provided will ensure that the cause lives on and other politically minded musicians will take strength from his example.
Joe and his mates never needed a "parental warning" sticker on their albums... but their lyrics "infected" us when we were younger... to hopefully be better people now that we are older.
Joe kept it real. Be political. Be uncomfortable. Keep your integrity. Thanks for the lessons Joe!
I'm sure he'd say,
"Don't mourn for me, organize!"
The Clash had a profound impact on the lives of kids growing up in New York in the 70's and 80's. Joe's attitude was contagious - he made smart kids want to break stuff!
In 1999 Joe and the Mescaleros
played in Provinssirock in Seinäjoki. A mate of mine (a music journo like myself) got his autograph. On the piece of paper Joe had written:
"Where ever this man goes, please
let him in"
The bloke was an inspiration to a disillusioned generation.
Antoni, USA
This is a wakeup call to start appreciating our music heroes, and to those who actually made a difference in music, like Deborah Harry, Elvis Costello and Bowie.
We didn't need Elvis, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. We had Joe.
I spoke to him for a few minutes and told him where I was from. He proclaimed "Punks for Palestine" - which left me feeling warm inside. I think Joe did that for all his fans.
I once gave a boyfriend a copy of London Calling at the beginning of our relationship because I couldn't go out with someone who didn't own it.
Laura, United States
His humanity was so evident the day he told his PR person to disappear so he could buy me a drink.
I guess God needs some advice about this place we call Earth. So I guess he picked the right man for the job. Tell him it's going straight to Hell, Joe!
The fire you started will keep on burning.
Popstars / Pop Idol / Fame Academy / Pop Stars the rivals - where are we going to get our next spokespersons for a generation from?
The band in heaven must be so gorgeous now
I learned to play guitar because of the Clash, I have a degree in political science because of Joe Strummer's influence on my young mind.
He was "keeping it real" before the phrase had been coined.
Punk is now history - but what a remarkable history!
At a time when we in the US needed more perspective, we got it from UK music of the time. The Clash opened up the world of politics, class struggle and right and wrong to lots of people who needed it - myself included.
Sorry, but I have never heard of this guy or his group. I can't be alone.
Let's remember Joe for the up-front, full on performer he was, not just a front man for The Clash. And Bob Hewitt, England, if people from Venezuela and Palestine know Joe, maybe you should stop letting Radio 1 dictate your music taste, go and buy London Calling and give your ears a treat!!!
Being a Venezuelan and with the political situation here the way it is, it's hard for a Clash fan not to feel like he's living one of those demented Clash songs (perhaps, Should I stay or should I go?).
I must admit that I learned much more about international affairs from Joe's lyrics than from any of my classes in high school. Thanks Joe.
My 18 month daughter LOVES London Calling...thanks for it all Joe, you'll be missed.
Kevin, USA
In the depths of the Reagan/Thatcher years this guy spoke for those who did not have a spokesperson.
One night in 1979 we couldn't get tickets to see The Clash at one of the Rock Against Racism gigs. Sold out. Then this roadie appeared from a side exit. He led about six of us into a backstage area, under the main stage and gave us directions to the auditorium. When I said "Thanks", he said' That's what the Clash is all about innit?" They sure were. Joe Strummer was one of a kind.
I'm a 16 year old girl who got into The Clash thanks to mom's record collection. Joe continues to inspire new generations and will never be forgotten.
Min Sook Lee, Canada
"I don't wanna go to where the rich are going, I don't wanna hear what what the rich are saying"......rest in peace Joe and thanks for the memories.
Joe Strummer stood for everything that was good about British Music.
To console myself I'd like to think that Joe was sent up to Heaven to break up the dispute that Sid Vicious and Frank Sinatra must still be having over the cover of 'My Way'!
Che Guevara would have worn a Joe Strummer T-Shirt.
A man with a very valuable view but not always the correct one; a paradox that he died the week commercialism delivered so well but so falsely to the masses.
If a Joe Strummer single was released today it would blow the charts apart and would inspire all free thinkers. It is up to us to pester, cajole and bully the music industry to release his music - we will get it up the chart.
Dragan, Serbia
In 1978 I was a shy 14 year old girl growing up in the London suburbs and really felt The Clash were talking to me.
The greatest thing about Joe, other than his music, was that unlike most rock stars of his stature and talent he didn't sit in an Ivory Tower, looking down on the world and occasionally coming down to grab the mighty dollar. He genuinely cared about his fans and often got in trouble for getting perfect strangers into gigs for free.
In answer to your question, you should have stayed, Joe
I wasn't even born when the first clash albums were recorded but they are all amongst my favourites.
Joe influenced my life from the age of eight and I will miss him tremendously. I never believed I would shed a tear for a 'rock star' but today I did. I'll raise a pint to you tonight Joe.
I saw the clash here in Australia in 1982 - I hung out with Joe and Mick for the rest of the night. I remember seeing Joe and the Mescaleros 4 years ago; when he played London Calling, the first four rows who were drunk English folk went totally berserk. I was in the middle of the second row.
The Clash were one of the few bands that ever mattered. I still listen to them to keep me honest.
Pato Cuevas, Chile
His intellectual punk music inspires me still. I can't believe his gone.
Joe finished the concert by inviting all the audience onto the stage, and we all yelled the lyrics of "Bank Robber" down his microphone. Can you imaging that happening now?
He got people to think for themselves, form opinions and get involved. We have lost a hero.
Strummer may have been slightly embarrassed by his slightly middle-class roots but everything about him was pure rock n' roll. Joe Strummer rocked like any Yank, but with a true British heart and an understanding of what made the music thrill. RIP Joe
Thanks Joe for all the excitement, honesty, emotion and great tunes that you hurled like a grenade into the dull, prog rock, dream topping, vesta flavoured 70's Britain.
I'm only 15 but recognise The Clash's wonderful work. London Calling is a classic punk tune, may the memories of Joe Strummer live on.
He had the ability to stir the feelings of people he had never met - and that is a tribute to his talent.
Uncle Joe dead; Girls Aloud at No.1. Come on, it's time for the punks rise again.
His music made me buy a guitar in 1977 which I still own and still play in my bed at night. I fall asleep sometimes and wake up feeling I am in a cage as the strings press against my face. I will play my guitar and think of the Clash until I die.
Joe had principles and he lived by them - he never betrayed the spirit of an era.
Brian Goslow, USA
Keep his ideals alive by getting involved in the political process.
Joe was an inspiration to millions around the world; his music a timeless and powerful masterpiece that expressed the feelings of a generation. My youth would not have been the same with out him. Rock on in heaven Joe
I had the chance to support the Clash in Germany with my own band in 1984 and interviewed Joe three years ago. I found his person to be as inspiring as his music. I am shocked and sad, but I am sure he will not rest. So in this case it is R.I.P.: Rock in peace, Joe!
I had a party last night and I played The Clash all night! Then I woke up to this terrible news.
I feel we have lost one of the very few artists who practised what he preached.
Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, London UK
I shuddered when I heard the news, Joe and The Clash have been a huge part of me since I first saw and heard them in 1977.
The likes of London Calling and I Fought The Law sound as good today as they ever did - a wonderful legacy to leave.
Punk rock is going to miss Joe. A true Rock 'n Roller.
They rocked my world for a quarter of a century. Heaven's gonna rock tonight! Goodbye Joe - RIP.
I met my wife 24 years ago today at the 1978 Clash Xmas gig at Alyesbury, Friars. We now have three boys. If it was not for Joe Strummer and The Clash this would not have happened.
The world has lost a true champion of the poor, the dispossessed and the plain misunderstood.
I feel so sorry for the youth of the last decade; they have no heroes to tell it like it is.
Joe was energy. His flame must carry on.
The Clash taught me more about politics and different styles of music than any other band and had a profound effect on my life. He'll be sorely missed.
Quentin, Canada
"Should I stay or should I go?" Well, he went and we'll miss him like hell. He was a milestone in English music and a political icon of mine.
All the best mate....we toured, we got drunk but we will always be free. My thoughts with your kids and Luce.
The Clash weren't just a punk band - they were truly universal - encompassing dub, soul even gospel. How many other groups can claim to have worked with Lee Scratch Perry; produced anthems for a black, gay crowd at New York's Paradise Garage; created some of the greatest three minute punk tunes and maintained their credibility and quality?
Shine on Joe....One love - from all the original Brook House Crew.
In 1982 my dream came true when SDC got to support The Clash in Stoke. His music will live on. His name is synonymous with integrity. CLASH FOREVER.
Phill Jupitus, England
We took the Clash with us to the Gulf back in '91 - we wanted to 'rock the casbah' and to see 'Babylon burning'.
The Clash helped me understand the world. They also made me happy, mad and dance.
The world is lacking another hero-rebel.
I was fortunate enough to meet Joe at the funeral of my dad, ("Magic Martin") a couple of years ago. Joe was a great character to meet on such a day with the kind words he said to me afterwards.
What's the big deal? His career died decades ago.
The "big deal" Murray, as you so ignorantly put it, is that a much loved and respected musician has passed on at a very untimely age. The fact that you probably measure musical career "success" by where in the top 10 someone is shows exactly the blinkered, passive ignorance Joe Strummer consistently and vibrantly railed against.
Never has one man provided so many of life's soundtracks.
Absolutely gutted - he seemed such a fit, energetic, passionate soul that had so much more to give to the public, and no doubt, in private, too. He will live on in his music and our hearts. RIP
Music could use another Joe Strummer now.
With the Clash you felt that they had a real social conscience and that the world could become a better place. Even though I never met him I feel as though we've all lost somebody special.
Mike Race, UK
I was 16, and looking forward to a dismal future, at a time when the working classes seemed to believe that nothing could change....then along came bands like the Pistols and the Clash, that showed my generation that you COULD change your life, you COULD do great things, all you needed was the gumption to do it. Joe and his friends changed my life, and the lives of a generation; a greater gift he couldn't have given, and a greater legacy he couldn't have left. I'm very sad, but there's some solace in that he was able to do what he loved right up to the end, and recently gained the critical recognition that he thoroughly deserved. John Coogan, England
I saw the Clash in Leicester and couldn't get back to London. Joe and Mick grabbed me and put me on their tour bus and took me all the way home! The Clash was the only band who genuinely thought about their fans and did what they could to help out if needed.
I saw the 101's & the Clash over 30 times from the White Riot tour until they all decamped to the (I'm so bored with the) USA. Joe would often smuggle impecunious students/punks into these gigs for free & then let us kip on the tour bus or in their hotel. Unlike so many others, he "mean(t) it maaaan"
I feel like I've lost a close friend. What a sad day this is.
The Clash, more than any other band, channelled the energies of a generation into the wider political fight against racism and fascism.
His death comes at a time when, more than ever, there is a need for intelligent, progressive, political music. Hopefully the obituaries will highlight to the current generation that the best music always has something to say.
I met Joe once and he really was the nicest guy. No matter what awful things were going on in this world you knew that somewhere Joe was playing a guitar and singing a song and things were somehow going to be alright.
What made Joe and the Clash the eminent was their ability to forge forward thinking political activism with artful storytelling. Strummer's lyrics were most effective in their simplicity, in the truest sense he was a folk artist bringing important issues to the masses. Certainly Joe will be remembered as one of the champions of music.
Shay Martin, Ireland
Hey Joe! Should you stay or should you go? The answer is (I'm sure) galling....it's Heaven not London calling.
How sad that we live in a country where the media gives time to a No.1 chart "battle" between manufactured pop garbage, when true geniuses such as Joe are ignored until it's too late.
"White Man in Hammersmith Palais" is surely in the top 5 singles of all time. When you were a 15, 16, 17 year old nobody growing up in Belfast and you went to see The Clash, after the gig for about an hour you thought you were actually going to change the world.
Cliché or not there is absolutely no way that I would be the person I am today were it not for this mans music & opinions. I am stunned and very, very saddened.
Make sure you kick up a racket in heaven Joe!
"The new groups are not concerned
With what there is to be learned
They got Burton suits, hah, you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money"
Joes White Man in Hammersmith Palais says it all.
Joe Strummer was there for me when I was growing up. Just wish he was still around to help me grow old. Adios amigo.
Billy Bragg once said he first learned the word "Sandinista" from the Clash album. Joe and the band had a profound impact on my world view, too. Thanks for everything.
Jon Leigh, UK
I remember his and the Clash's music fondly from my teenage years and still like to pump it up esp. driving fast in the car - pure energy. Keep the Casbah rocking for us Joe - because we'll all be partying with you soon enough! Man I'm feeling old. Gary, 33, in Santa Clara, California
Joe Strummer opened a hell of a lot of eyes and ears and got a whole generation talking, reacting and protesting for a better world for everybody. A unique talent has departed. And what are we left with? Britney Spears and Westlife.
He showed me a world to be angry with and a world to embrace. Showed me tolerance and understanding but never complacency, and always with intelligence and a barbed wit. Apart from anything else though, he rocked and he rolled - an inspiration to all of us. "Let music have the hour, anger can be power, do you know that you can use it?"
Thanks for everything, Joe. From all the Clash City Rockers and your mates in The Grove - The Westway will never quite sound the same again...
Spizz of SPIZZENERGI, England
Selfless and people like him are getting fewer and fewer in this world.
Joe Strummer had more talent in his little toe than any of the synthetic TV manufactured Boy Band/Girl Bands competing in the charts at the moment. I hope for the sake of British popular music, there is another Joe Strummer looking to knock these sheepish pretty boys into the bargain bucket.
He was THE symbol of gutsy rock music, which is sadly lacking in the insipid guitar bands of the 21st Century.
He blew a hole in the radio when it hadn't sounded good all week. Joe, you'll be missed.
The Clash were one of the very few bands ever to have both cool and substance in equal measure and certainly the only group of the punk era that were really genuine. I can honestly say that Joe Strummer was one of a mere handful of people in any walk of life that made me think about what they were saying. In an age of vacuous, self-centred consumerism his passing is a great loss.
I must admit to not being able to hold back the tears on hearing the news. It brought back so many fantastic memories.
Thanks for never compromising...
If anyone has influenced my life more than my mates & family, it was Joe. His passion, his desire to fight for what he believed in, his need to teach & educate others about the wrongs of this world. He spoke of the love for his family & his friends being the most important things to him. Too often he would get into trouble for helping fans into gigs for free - he loved people. His music, lyrics & influence will live on. Stay Free. RIP Joe. I really will miss you.
Rob Ellis, Croydon
Joe's music; both in The Clash and his more recent work with The Mescaleros, has made me happy on so many occasions.
Ross Truslove, Scotland
He probably wouldn't have cared to be called "a hero" but his big heart and kind soul were an example to us all. What a sad day.
I hope it gives all you "old punks" some consolation to know that his music is appreciated by those of the younger generation who are likewise sick to death of manufactured bands. I wasn't even born when he first got big, but my friends and I really enjoy the music - as does my 5 year old! The legend lives on.
Joe burst my ear drums in Derby 1980, but I forgave him. Who wouldn't?!
RIP Joe. Let his passing be a reminder that popular music is at it's best when left to those who have something to say and the talent to say it.
"We think there is a soul...we don't know..."
Joe's soul will live on in his music and the heats of family, friends and fans alike; truly irreplaceable and a tragic loss.
Who is going to play rock and roll with a message and a conscience now? You wrote what we felt about injustice and exploitation and gave us a voice in the dark days of the 80s.
Without a doubt, one of the great lyricists of our time, combining Orwell with Guevara in a haphazard punk way.
Another hero gone - perhaps this will stop the reunion talk.
I hope he realised how much his work meant to people and how many bands were inspired to make a difference like The Clash did. In these days of manufactured pop, it really does show how much REAL bands like The Clash mean. I can't say rest in peace because it just wouldn't fit for such a pioneer of real Rock n Roll. Keep on shining Joe, wherever you are.
The Stranglers may have sung 'No More Heroes' but never has that been more true than today
Numb, gutted & shocked - 3 words that sum up how I feel. Passionate, principled, genius - 3 words that sum up Joe Strummer.
The Clash were the only honest band to have graced Rock 'n Roll, and Strummer the most honest of them all. Now this year has seen the superlative John Entwistle and the wonderful, honest, passionate Strummer pass on. I am extremely sad.
His passion, honesty and love of what he was doing helped to shape my politics as well as my musical consciousness. Can't believe he's not going to be a fixture in the 2003 rock and roll calendar. He grew up but he didn't calm down.
Mark Gregor, England
Joe Strummer was a man who wasn't afraid to voice his beliefs. A passionate, vocal, sincere olde punk. The Clash produced a contrast to the nihilism of the Sex Pistols, and educated an audience about the realities of the state. Music has lost one of its true rebels.
Thank You Joe, you sure did make the world "richer".
The Clash provided a powerful and politically aware soundtrack that gave substance to our teenage angst. A school friend, Nick Shepperd, later went on to play lead guitar for the legendary group. I believe he played on their last album.
Steve Roberts, Britain
A sad day. I was heavily involved with one of the band's left-wing causes' Rock Against Racism' from the beginning and saw many of their gigs, especially their incendiary set at the RAR festival in Victoria Park, 1978! Strummer and the rest of the Clash helped the cause of anti-racism succeed at a time when the National Front, Combat 18, et al were on the rise. He was my age.... and it's no age to go. I'm sure his family will miss him terribly.
The most profound voice of any musician I have ever heard, Joe took his message to the world and the world listened. He managed to influence more than one generation with his innovative and determined manner and I am not alone in repeatedly turning to his thoughts and lyrics when searching for inspiration.
Shocking news - The Clash had a massive influence on me in my teenage years and even now, 25 years later, hardly a week goes by without one of their albums featuring on my CD player. In the week that yet another dreadful, manufactured 'band' hits the charts Joe is a reminder of what music really should be like. One of the greatest songwriters and musicians of our time, he will be greatly missed.
I am in shock, this is a great tragedy to myself, my partner and all those who have fantastic memories of Joe and the Clash. I was fortunate enough to see them in 1978, was pleased when they broke America and am now saddened by the great man's death. My sympathies go out to his family and their loss. Jane, UK
I met Joe at "T in the Park" a few years ago, he was a top bloke! Will be sadly missed. RIP Joe...
The Clash are one of the best bands to have come out of England. Musically, they were best punk band...dance acts borrowed Joe Strummer's rifts ten years after he wrote the Guns Of Brixton; it became "Just Be Good To Me". Another talented artist leaves us.
Rest In Peace Joe.
Like thousands of teenagers growing up in the 70s, punk and The Clash changed my life in a fundamental way. Their mixture of politics and music shaped my beliefs and tastes and made me the person I am today. Christmas is ruined.
Paul Thomson, Scotland
What a shock - old punks never die they just stand at the back.
James Woodcock, UK
Shocked! The Clash were one of the last great bands and it's so sad that another genius has left the physical Earth while we're left to contend with more manufactured pop. His music represented a whole generation and surely inspired later bands like Nirvana. It's a sad day.
The Clash were innovative, radical and helped drive a change in music that was ground-breaking. In comparison to some of the music today they sounded like they meant it. I still listen to their music today to remind my self what music made with commitment sounds like.
The Clash turned punk into a proper political movement, and Joe Strummer showed recently that he still had much of value to say. It is a terrible tragedy to lose him at this early age.
Well, I just turned on the news and heard this devastating news, the world will be a worse place without Joe Strummer. R.I.P Joe.
Joe Strummer, and The Clash were the great band to come out of the punk era. A great loss to the world of real music and real songs.
Joe was one of the most important singer songwriters this country has produced and will be missed by everyone who grew up to the Clash and watched him move from The Pogues, Latino Rockabilly War and onto the Mescaleros.
I am shocked - Joe to me, was one of the most articulate intelligent and talented men of my generation. His songs and music were brilliantly written. Spectacular live band to see but just to hear him speak immediately impressed with razor wit and true intellect. The Clash were, in my opinion the best band of the my generation. Anti-establishment, intelligent, aggressive, in-your-face, talented with a massive following. Although not as well known, Joe could stand along side any major artist with something to say including Lennon and Dylan. We lost a true hero today.
A true genius, a man of class and convictions. A personal hero. I can't believe he is gone. My heart goes out to his wife and children
I can't believe it. Joe was as huge an inspiration to me now as he was in 1977. He combined cool with an uncompromising stance, infused reggae into punk and taught a whole generation of us more about politics than any number of teachers or politicians. I desperately wish news of his death was untrue. Joe - you were the best.
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