Born on April 17: Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks), an "Uncommon Homosapien"

He was born in 1955 in Leigh in the Manchester area under the birth name of Peter Campbell McNelsh. He chose his stage name in tribute to Percy Bysshe Shelley, his favourite poet known for his radicalism.

He was not yet 20 when he met Howard Devoto on the benches of the future University of Bolton. A trip to London to see the Sex Pistols confirmed their desire to follow the same path. Barely formed, with Steve Diggle (bass) and John Maher (drums), Buzzcocks headed to Manchester to perform as the opening act for... the Sex Pistols. This was how it went during the birth of punk in Albion, with lots of energy and opportunities seized spontaneously. At first, there was no need to know how to play an instrument properly. In early 1977, "Spiral Scratch", their first self-funded Buzzcocks EP on their own label New Hormones, adhered to this principle. Just like the departure of Howard Devoto shortly after, who left to form the more adventurous Magazine.

Now the lead singer and main songwriter but still guitarist, Shelley honed his craft supported by the legendary producer Martin Rushent. This resulted in some cataclysmic but undeniably pop tracks such as "Orgasm Addict" and "What Do I Get?" Not to forget the brilliant "Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)", which he claims was inspired by drinking beers with his musician friends in the TV room of a guest house in Edinburgh while waiting for the next day's concert. On the screen was the 1955 film adaptation of "Guys’n Dolls" featuring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. Between 1978 and the end of 1979, the trio recorded three memorable albums with delightfully positive titles: "Another Music In A Different Kitchen", "Love Bites", and "A Different Kind Of Tension". An excellent entry point to Buzzcocks' first period, "Singles Going Steady" brings together the essential elements. The group then split up for ten long years.

Swapping the guitar for synthesizers, Shelley began his (short) solo career still under the guidance of Martin Rushent. As is well known, one doesn't change a winning team. Censored by the venerable BBC for an "overemphasised reference to homosexuality", "Homosapien" (1981) nonetheless became the second cornerstone of Pete Shelley's repertoire. And the album of the same name as well as its successor "XL1" (1983) can still be listened to without displeasure today, despite some evident weaknesses. In the 1990s, the reformation of Buzzcocks, anticipated as it was by fans, only aroused enthusiasm driven solely by nostalgia.

It's nonetheless noteworthy that in 2005, an amazing version of "Ever Fallen In Love" was recorded in homage to John Peel, the legendary BBC DJ. Alongside him, Pete Shelley notably welcomes Roger Daltrey, David Gilmour, Elton John, Robert Plant, and Peter Hook. All proceeds from the operation were donated to Amnesty International.

After moving to Tallinn (Estonia) in 2012 and finding love there, he passed away on December 6, 2018, following a heart attack.

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Pete Shelley with Buzzcocks on stage at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels (Belgium) on September 6, 1979