Ian Curtis » Trivia

Suffered from epilepsy and depression. Several times in his life he had to be carried offstage due to epileptic seizures he suffered during concerts.

Attempted suicide on April 8, 1980, but was released from a psychiatric hospital the following day so he could perform at a Joy Division gig. The show was cancelled due to his fragile state, and riots broke out. His distress over the rioting and guilt over an affair he had with a woman named Annick Honore contributed to his deteriorating mental state.

Father of Natalie Curtis (b. 1979).

Hanged himself in his kitchen.

His second (and final) album with Joy Division - 'Closer' - is considered one of the darkest and most haunting albums in music history. The lyrics largely document Curtis's emotional turmoil leading up to his suicide.

Ian's widow, Deborah, penned a biography of her late husband in 1995 titled 'Touching from a Distance.' The movie rights were bought by Double A Films in 2001, and Michael Stock was brought on to write to direct the film.

A list of Joy Division fans reads like a who's who of alternative rock: Thom Yorke, Trent Reznor, Perry Farrell, Kurt Cobain, Maynard James Keenan, Billy Corgan, Moby, Martin Gore, Bono, and Robert Smith, just to name a few die-hards.