Joe Strummer Biography

Fast Facts

• Born in Turkey while his father, a diplomat, was stationed there
• Prior to forming the Clash in 1976, released two singles with soul-influenced rock band the 101ers
• Released his first solo album, Earthquake Weather, in 1989, three years after the Clash disbanded
• Took a decade-long break from recording, then finally returned in 1999 with Rock Art and the X-Ray Style, the first album by his new band, the Mescaleros
• Made occasional forays into acting, taking small roles in Alex Cox's Straight to Hell (1986) and Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train (1989)
• Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the other members of the Clash, in 2003