Gary Glitter – Bio, Net Worth, Wife, Family, Facts, Songs, Career

Gary Glitter is a former English glam rock singer who had a successful career in the 1970s and 1980s. He was known for his energetic live performances and glam rock image. After performing under the name Paul Raven in the 1960s, Gadd changed his stage name to Gary Glitter in the early 1970s and had a sustained solo UK chart run of hits including “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 sold over 20 million records and had 26 hit singles. However, his career came to an abrupt end when he was imprisoned for downloading child pornography in 1999. He was later convicted of child sexual abuse and other sexual offenses, including attempted rape, in 2006 and 2015, respectively.

Glitter’s fall from grace was described as “spectacular” by BBC News, and his image was irreparably tarnished following his conviction and imprisonment. He was deported from Cambodia on child sexual abuse charges in 2002, settled in Vietnam where he was found guilty of obscene acts with minors in 2006 and was arrested again in 2012 as part of Operation Yewtree. In 2015, he was found guilty of several sexual offenses and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was released on license in February 2023 after serving half of his sentence in prison but was recalled to prison in March of the same year after breaching the conditions of his license.

Where is Gary Glitter from?

Gary Glitter, born Paul Francis Gadd, was born on 8 May 1944. He is from Banbury, Oxfordshire. He was raised by his mother, who was cleaner and unmarried, with the help of his grandmother. At the age of 10, he and his brother were taken into local authority care due to his difficult behavior. He is British by nationality and has a British-White ethnical background race. In 2022, he turned 78 years old.

Despite being educated in a Catholic school, Glitter was a nominal Protestant. As a young boy, he frequently ran away to London where he visited nightclubs, an experience that would shape his future career. His time spent in London exposed him to the world of music, and he would later become a glam rock icon in the 1970s with hits like “Rock and Roll (Part 2)” and “I Love You Love Me Love.” 

Gary Glitter’s music career

• Gary Glitter, then known as Paul Raven, started his career performing at London clubs when he was only 16. He gained his first break when film producer Robert Hartford-Davis financed a recording session for him, and he released his first single, “Alone in the Night”, under his stage name Paul Raven. However, his recording career stalled, and he found himself working as an assistant and doing warm-up acts for British music television programs. It was not until he met arranger and record producer Mike Leander that his career was revived. He joined the Mike Leander Show Band in 1965 and later formed Boston International with saxophonist John Rossall.
• During his time with Boston International, Gary Glitter, still using the name Paul Raven or Paul Monday, toured the UK and West Germany and recorded several singles, including a cover version of the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”. He even sang the role of a priest in the original 1970 concept album of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Despite some success, his recording career remained largely unsuccessful until he changed his name to Gary Glitter and released the hit single “Rock and Roll, Part 2” in 1972. 
• In 1971, as the glam movement took off, he adopted his new stage name by playing alliteratively with letters of the alphabet, working backward from Z. Other options included Terry Tinsel, Stanley Sparkle, and Vicky Vomit. The name Gary Glitter stuck, and in 1972, his hit single “Rock and Roll, Parts 1 and 2” was released, with Part 2 becoming the more popular side in many countries. It reached the Top Ten in the United States, making it one of the few British glam rock records to do so and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
• During the early 1970s, he had several hits in the UK with his backing band, the Glittermen/the Glitter Band. He became known for his extravagant glitter suits and platform boots. He had eleven consecutive Top 10 singles, including “I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am)” and “I Love You Love Me Love”, both of which reached number one. Despite his success in the UK, he never made a significant impact in America, where the glam rock was seen as a curiosity. After a string of unsuccessful singles, he retired from the music industry in 1976 and released a hits package.
• In 1976, his music career faced a decline, and he decided to go into a two-year-long exile, living in France and Australia. He returned to the UK in 1978 and made a comeback. However, his career took another downturn towards the end of the 1970s, leading him to declare bankruptcy in 1977 and again in the 1990s due to unpaid taxes.
• Despite the financial pressures, his music continued to influence post-punk, new wave, Britpop, and glam metal, and he remained a niche performer with a following that led to chart hits such as “Dance Me Up” and “Another Rock and Roll Christmas.” In the 1980s, he collaborated with other pop/rock luminaries like Sandie Shaw, Tina Turner, and Girlschool, and his music was sampled by various acts, including Oasis.
• Glitter also became a Buddhist and a vegetarian in the 1980s opened a restaurant in Leicester Square and launched his record label, Attitude Records. He spent the next decade mostly as an in-demand live performer, and his back catalog of recordings proved durable enough for several compilations to be successfully released.
• His music had a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s, with re-releases of his old albums and singles. Despite being convicted of child sexual abuse in the UK in 1999, he continued to release new music, including the album “On” in 2001. However, by 2004, his behavior was once again making headlines and he relocated to Vietnam. In 2013, it was reported that Glitter had earned over £1,000,000 in royalties from the use of his song “Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again” in the Oasis song “Hello”, and in 2014 it was estimated that “Rock and Roll Part 2”, a song co-written by Glitter, was earning around $250,000 a year in royalties due to its use in the NHL.
• In the year 2019, controversy arose over the use of “Rock and Roll Part 2” in the movie “Joker”, as Glitter, as co-writer and performer of the song, could potentially receive royalties. However, it was later revealed that Glitter had sold the rights to the song and did not receive payment for its use, as the US rights to the song are now owned by Universal Music Publishing Group. Despite the controversy, the song charted in the US in October 2019.
• Gary toured extensively throughout his career, with his first tour being of the Middle East in 1967. He performed in various countries, including Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Armenia. Glitter’s London Palladium concert in 1973 was a sell-out, and his performance at the Rainbow Theatre was recorded and released as a live album. He toured worldwide during this period, including Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. During his comeback in the 1980s, Glitter mainly toured Britain but also performed in Ireland, Germany, France, America, and Bahrain. He continued to tour until his temporary retirement in 1976 and his final tour, entitled “A Night Out with the Boys: Could This Be for the Last Time?” took place in 1997. In 2005, he was found living in Vietnam after offering to sing in local bars in Vũng Tàu.

How much is Gary Glitter’s net worth?

Gary Glitter is an English musician known for his hit songs such as “Rock and Roll,” “I Love You Love Me Love,” and “Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again.” He has released seven studio albums and over 15 live or greatest hits albums, with three #1 hits on the UK Top 100 charts. His main source of wealth comes from his success as an actor and singer-songwriter. 

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around £6.5 million. However, he no longer receives royalties for his songs as he no longer owns the rights to them. Despite his success, Gary’s career took a downturn towards the end of the 1970s, and he declared bankruptcy in 1977, owing £170,000. His songs are now blacklisted on all UK radio stations, but some US stations still play them. He is believed to own a flat in London worth around £2 million, but it is controlled by a former associate through a company. However, the musician is living a lavish lifestyle right now. 

Who is Gary Glitter’s wife?

Gary Glitter was a married man. He tied the knot to his wife, Ann Murton in July 1963. Their marriage was blessed with two children, a son named Paul who was born in 1964, and a daughter named Sarah who was born in 1966. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1972. After his divorce, he had another son named Gary Jr. with his Cuban girlfriend Yudenia Sosa Martínez in February 2001. He was living with her in Cuba at the time.

Despite having a family, Glitter had a tumultuous personal life. He was banned from driving for 10 years in 1986 after being convicted of drunk driving for the third time. In 1997, he was arrested for possessing child pornography and was later convicted and imprisoned. He was released in 2008, but his reputation was severely damaged, and he was unable to revive his music career. 

In 2012, after allegations of sexual misconduct against Jimmy Savile were aired in a documentary, Gary Glitter was accused of raping a 13- or 14-year-old girl in Savile’s BBC dressing room. He was subsequently arrested and charged with eight counts of sexual offenses against two girls aged 12–14 between 1977 and 1980. Glitter was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13 in 2015 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was released on license in February 2023 but was recalled to prison in March 2023 for breaching his license conditions. His performances on the BBC’s Top of the Pops are no longer repeated due to his convictions.

How tall is Gary Glitter?

Gary Glitter is often described as a handsome man with an attractive personality. He has a striking appearance, with a pair of black eyes and gray-white hair that complement his features. His glowing face and charming smile have been known to magnetize viewers toward him. Additionally, he boasts a healthy body, which adds to his overall appeal. 

His physical attributes include a height of 5 feet 6 inches or 1.68 m or 168 cm, a body weight of 65 KG or 143 lbs, and body measurements of 36-33-35 in. He also has a biceps size of 13.5 and wears a shoe size of 7.5 UK. Overall, his impressive physical appearance has been a defining aspect of his persona. His magnetic presence and good looks have undoubtedly contributed to his success and fan following throughout his career. In January 2008, he was reported to have suffered a severe heart attack, although these reports were denied. He was later diagnosed with heart problems while serving a prison sentence in Vietnam for child sexual abuse.