Robert Calvert

Calvert was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and moved with his parents to England when he was two. He attended school in London and Margate. Having finished school he joined the Air Training Corps, in which he became a corporal and played trumpet for the 438 Squadron band.[3] He then went on to college in Canterbury. After leaving college, and having been denied his childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot, he slowly acquainted himself with the UK's bohemian scene. Calvert began his career in earnest by writing poetry. In 1967 he formed the street theatre group Street Dada Nihilismus.

At the end of the 1960s he returned to London and joined the city's flourishing psychedelic subculture. He soon became one of its most active members; joining, amongst other activities, Frendz, one of the leading underground magazines of the time. During that time he acquainted himself with New Wave science fiction writers. Acclaimed author Michael Moorcock, winner of several science fiction literary awards and publisher of the influential New Worlds magazine, became a lifelong friend. Calvert's poems were published in New Worlds and other magazines. Although he was influenced by the New Wave, Calvert developed a distinct style of his own. His ability to change fluently between poetry, music and theatre allowed him to develop into a multimedia artist. After becoming acquainted with Dave Brock, Calvert joined Hawkwind as a lyricist, performance poet and occasional lead vocalist in 1971. Following a two-year absence, he rejoined as the band's principal lead vocalist in 1975 before leaving once again in 1979. Calvert co-wrote Hawkwind's hit single "Silver Machine", which reached No. 3 in the UK singles chart. Although Lemmy sings on the single version, this is an overdub of a live recording taken at the Roundhouse in London with Calvert on vocals. "They tried everyone else singing it except me", Lemmy later said.[4] Calvert also directed the Space Ritual tour, which is widely perceived as the band's artistic zenith.

Calvert suffered from bipolar disorder, which often caused a fractious relationship with his fellow musicians. At one point he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Despite his sometimes debilitating mental health, he remained a fiercely creative, driven and multi-talented artist. During periods away from Hawkwind duties, Calvert worked on his solo career; his solo creative output included albums, stage plays, poetry, and a novel. His first solo album, Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters, was released in 1974. The record is a concept album, an amalgam of music and theatre focused around the Lockheed bribery scandals. In 1975, he won the Capital Radio poetry competition with his poem "Circle Line". In 1975, musician and producer Brian Eno produced and played on Calvert's second solo album, Lucky Leif and the Longships, a concept album which looked at the history of the US and the Vikings, who crossed the Atlantic to reach America before Columbus.

As well as Michael Moorcock and Brian Eno, Calvert's collaborators included Arthur Brown, Steve Peregrin Took, Jim Capaldi, Steve Pond, Inner City Unit, Vivian Stanshall, Nektar, John Greaves, Adrian Wagner, Amon Düül II and, posthumously, Spirits Burning, Dave Brock, and Krankschaft.

Aged 43, Calvert died of a heart attack in 1988 in Ramsgate, England,[1][5] and was buried in Minster Cemetery near Margate. His gravestone is engraved with the line "Love's not Time's fool", from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 116.

• Knut Gerwers' Spirit of the Page Calvert site
• A short Robert Calvert bio
• Robert Calvert discography at Discogs
• Robert Calvert on tour in 1986
• Gnawing Medusa's Flesh: The Science Fiction Poetry of Robert Calvert
• Working Down A Diamond Mine
• An interview with Robert Calvert
• Robert Newton Calvert-In Remembrance