Jonh Ingham
Encyclopedia
Jonh Ingham is the nom de typewriter for John Ingham, a music journalist
best known for writing the first interview with The Sex Pistols
for the UK music paper Sounds in April 1976.
Ingham was born in Australia to English parents and grew up in Australia, Canada, and the USA. As a student at CalArts
in Los Angeles he took a course from Village Voice
music critic Robert Christgau
, who taught him to be a music critic and helped him get his first bylines. While still at college his work appeared in Rolling Stone
, Creem, and other contemporary magazines. With Greg Shaw
he was instrumental in launching the influential music fanzine Who Put The Bomp
.
Moving to London, UK
, in 1972 to attend film school
, he was a freelance writer
for the NME and other British music magazines before joining Sounds.
As a staff writer from 1975–1977 he wrote high-profile interviews with major rock artists such as The Rolling Stones
, Jimmy Page
, Roxy Music
and Queen, and was one of the first journalists to champion the Punk music
movement. As well as the first interview with The Sex Pistols he wrote the first reviews of The Damned and The Clash.
In 1977, he left journalism to become co-manager of the punk band Generation X
. In December of that year he moved to Los Angeles to work in the film industry, returning to music in 1980 as seminal manager of The Go-Gos
. Under his tutelage the group became a leading LA attraction before signing to IRS Records
.
Ingham started The Fake Club in 1982, the first of LA’s many “temporary” nightclubs that dominated the ‘80s, before moving to Tokyo in 1985 to work in advertising. In London in 1996 he joined CompuServe
as Head of Content, starting his current career in online content. In 2000, as Head of Content at music startup Worldpop, he created Europe’s first content service for mobile phones. He is now a founder of online talent show
1Click2Fame.
My Back Pages
MOG - Jonh Ingham
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
best known for writing the first interview with The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
for the UK music paper Sounds in April 1976.
Ingham was born in Australia to English parents and grew up in Australia, Canada, and the USA. As a student at CalArts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
in Los Angeles he took a course from Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
music critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
, who taught him to be a music critic and helped him get his first bylines. While still at college his work appeared in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Creem, and other contemporary magazines. With Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw was a Los Angeles-based fanzine publisher, music historian and record label owner. He grew up near San Francisco, California.It was as a young teenager that he started writing about rock and roll music...
he was instrumental in launching the influential music fanzine Who Put The Bomp
Who Put the Bomp
Who Put The Bomp was a rock music fanzine edited and published by Greg Shaw from 1970-79. Later its name was shortened to "Bomp!". Shaw was one of the first and best known rock fanzine editors. Active in science fiction fandom as a young man, he became familiar with fanzines...
.
Moving to London, UK
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1972 to attend film school
Film school
The term film school is used to describe any educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are usually incorporated into...
, he was a freelance writer
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
for the NME and other British music magazines before joining Sounds.
As a staff writer from 1975–1977 he wrote high-profile interviews with major rock artists such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
and Queen, and was one of the first journalists to champion the Punk music
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
movement. As well as the first interview with The Sex Pistols he wrote the first reviews of The Damned and The Clash.
In 1977, he left journalism to become co-manager of the punk band Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
. In December of that year he moved to Los Angeles to work in the film industry, returning to music in 1980 as seminal manager of The Go-Gos
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
. Under his tutelage the group became a leading LA attraction before signing to IRS Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
.
Ingham started The Fake Club in 1982, the first of LA’s many “temporary” nightclubs that dominated the ‘80s, before moving to Tokyo in 1985 to work in advertising. In London in 1996 he joined CompuServe
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
as Head of Content, starting his current career in online content. In 2000, as Head of Content at music startup Worldpop, he created Europe’s first content service for mobile phones. He is now a founder of online talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
1Click2Fame.
External links
Rock's Back Pages - Jonh InghamMy Back Pages
MOG - Jonh Ingham