Baxter Dury

Biography

Ian Dury's only son didn't think he'd follow his famous father's lead into music. He thought it would be too easy, an obvious expectation. Alas, Baxter Dury found himself writing songs and crafting a music career by age 30, but the elder Dury didn't live to see it.

Baxter Dury was born in the early 1970s while his parents, Ian and Betty Dury, were barely out of art college. His childhood was surrounded by his father's musical fracas with Kilburn & the High Roads, and eventually Ian Dury & The Blockheads. Baxter didn't enjoy school and found himself kicked out of several institutions by the time he was 15. Soul, funk and jazz provided an escape, but Baxter couldn't completely ignore his education. When his Dad went off to work with Roman Polanski for the 1986 swashbuckler Pirates, Baxter was left with the Sulphate Strangler. The Sulphate Strangler, who was covered in tattoos and stood at 6'8'', was an ex-roadie for Led Zeppelin and a Blockhead pal. He basically became Baxter's minder during those teenage years.

By his mid-twenties, Baxter started writing songs with Blockhead Mickey Gallagher's son, Ben. He'd worked in a watch shop and participated in various indie films, but music now made sense. A deal with Island faded almost immediately. Several years later, he befriended Geoff Travis at Rough Trade in hopes of getting something together. Sadly, Ian Dury lost his battle with cancer in March 2000, but Baxter made it a brilliant moment. He made his singing debut at his father's wake singing "My Old Man" in his honor. Shortly thereafter, Baxter landed in Austin, TX to write songs for a debut album. He also hooked up with Portishead's Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley and Pulp's Richard Hawley for extra help. The Oscar Brown EP appeared in the UK in summer 2001. Two years later, Baxter Dury showcased his gritty folk-rock with his worldwide debut Len Parrot's Memorial Lift. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide