The Life & Death of Ian Curtis: Love Will Tear Us Apart

As Suicide Prevention Month comes to a close, Yergy and Drewby discuss the life and death of Ian Curtis, who was an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division and recorded two albums with the group: Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980). Curtis was known for his bass-baritone voice, dance style, and songwriting typically filled with imagery of desolation, emptiness, and alienation.

Curtis suffered from severe epilepsy and depression and took his own life on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour and shortly before the release of Closer. While there are some different theories as to why Curtis did it, the general consensus is because of his severely compromised quality of life due to his largely uncontrolled epilepsy. Unfortunately, the advancements of modern medicine had not yet caught up when Curtis was alive, and because of this, medication was virtually no help to him. His death lead to the band's dissolution and the subsequent formation of New Order. 

We discuss our own personal struggles with chronic health conditions and the failure of the for-profit health care system in the United States - and how dealing with illness and medical debt can lead to hopelessness and despair, and ultimately suicide in some cases. 

Suicide Hotlines Worldwide: http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html

LGBTQ+ Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/lgbtq/

Veterans Crisis Line: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

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Source Material:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Curtis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Division

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ian-curtis-of-joy-division-commits-suicide