Today Is Poly Styrene's Birthday

Poly Styrene would've been 57 today. Marianne Elliott-Said won her battle to move to a higher life in 2011 just a short while after her last album, the magnificent 'Generation Indigo', was released. I regret not having the chance to see Poly sing those songs live but I still listen to them. I'm listening to them at the moment. I treasure the memories of seeing Poly sing live - at last - at the X-Ray Spex reunion gig in 2008 at the Roundhouse, the evening before I went into hospital for an operation (phew! good timing!).

It's nice to see Poly still being remembered and praised. She's mentioned in Tracey Thorn's autobiography and in her review of Viv Albertine's new book, Viv gives a chapter over to Poly and she was referenced several times in The Culture Show documentary earlier this week on BBC2 about women in punk. She is still a powerful influence on anyone who will listen.

I was lucky enough to go to Poly's memorial gig last year - PolyFest - and saw Celeste (Poly's daughter) singing 'Warrior In Woolworths' but that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. I still want a box-set of Poly's music, a detailed biography and photo-book. And who knows what else? It's public knowledge that Poly entered the studio to record 'Generation Indigo' with more songs than were released so maybe there's a demo album somewhere waiting to be released? There must be a legacy for such a special life.

Poly's day-glo legacy and memory burn bright. And could burn brighter still.