Chris Acland

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Chris Acland
Chris Acland performing with Lush.
Chris Acland performing with Lush.
Background information
Birth name Christopher John Dyke Acland
Born 7 September 1966
Lancaster, England
Died 17 October 1996 (aged 30)
Lancaster, England
Genre(s) Shoegazing, Britpop
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Drums
Years active 1988 - 1996
Label(s) 4AD
Associated acts Lush

Christopher John Dyke Acland (September 7, 1966October 17, 1996) was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the London-based shoegazing and britpop band, Lush.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Acland was born in Lancaster Infirmary. Chris Acland played in a number of other bands before Lush, including The Infection and Panic. It is of interest to note that every member of Chris's first band, The Infection, went on to careers in music, including Hot and Horrid.

[edit] Lush

In 1988, Acland became a founding member of Lush, along with Steve Rippon, Emma Anderson, Meriel Barham and Miki Berenyi. After personnel changes gave way to a stable line-up, Lush released their debut EP, Scar, and developed a following as a live act. They would go on to release three albums and a multitude of singles and EPs and have considerable critical success.

Acland was a much-liked and respected member of the London music community and it was often noted how he was said to have no enemies. He was a passionate lifelong fan of football and a strong (if sometimes resigned) supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

[edit] Death

On October 17, 1996, after Lush had completed their supporting tours and summer festival appearances, Acland committed suicide by hanging himself in his parents' house. His bandmates in Lush were devastated and disbanded after a long period of mourning.[1]

Burke's Peerage & Baronetage 104th Edition notes that he was the son of Oliver Geoffrey Dyke Acland and Judith Veronica Williams. He was the great-grandson of Sir Francis Dyke Acland, 14th Baronet Acland and descendant of a long and noble line.