Bernie Rhodes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bernie Rhodes was the manager of legendary English punk rock band The Clash. He was instrumental in the band's formation in 1976, was fired in 1978 but then rehired in 1981 and managed them until their break-up in 1986. He also managed Subway Sect and ska band The Specials in 1979, shortly after these bands formed. The intro to the Specials song "Gangsters," Bernie Rhodes knows don't argue, was a reference to him getting their guitars and equipment back after they were confiscated by a hotel in Paris (even though the band had done nothing wrong).
Rhodes was also responsible for spotting John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) in The Kings Road and getting him to audition as singer for The Sex Pistols in Malcolm McLaren's shop SEX.
In a television interview, Joe Strummer of The Clash said, after drawing the camera to Bernie sleeping against a wall, "He invented punk."
Only a few pictures of Rhodes during his days as the Clash's manager can be found.
[edit] Bibliography
- Gilbert, Pat. 2004. Passion is a Fashion: The Real Story of The Clash, Aurum Press Ltd. Hardback: ISBN 1-84513-017-0. Paperback: ISBN 1-84513-113-4. US Paperback: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81434-X.
- Gray, Marcus. 2001 Return of The Last Gang In Town, Helter Skelter Publishing. ISBN 1-900924-16-1.
- Gray, Marcus. 1995. Last Gang In Town: The Story and Myth of The Clash, Fourth Estate Limited. ISBN 1-85702-146-0.
