Joy Division singer’s gravestone stolen
Thieves have stolen a memorial stone for Ian Curtis, frontman of the influential post-punk band Joy Division from a cemetery in northern Britain.
The stone has the inscription “Ian Curtis 18 – 5 – 80” and the words “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” the title of his most popular song.
Cheshire Police said the stone was taken some time between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. They have appealed to the local community for information.
Curtis, who was returned to the spotlight recently with the release of the film Control, based on his life story, died in 1980.
He suffered from depression and hanged himself at age 23 just before Joy Division was to tour the U.S.
The band’s second album, Closer, with the single Love Will Tear Us Apart, was released after his death.
Curtis’s widow, Debbie, was said to be in “a state of shock” after being informed that the stone was missing.
Stephen Morris, former drummer of Joy Division and later rock band New Order, speculated that a misguided fan may have stolen the stone. He appealed for its return.
Fans from all over the world have travelled to the site over the past 20 years to pay their respects and often leave messages and tokens behind.
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