After Dinner Speakers: Adam Ant, Rob Lowe, Venga Boys

b. Stuart Leslie Goddard, 3 November 1954, London, England. After an initially chequered, then immensely successful career leading Adam And The Ants, Goddard went solo in early 1982. For support, he retained old musical partner Marco Pirroni and relaunched himself with the frantic "Goody Two Shoes", which hit number 1 in the UK in May. The average "Friend Or Foe" followed at number 9, but thereafter the spell was broken. Phil Collins was recruited as producer to halt Adam's sudden decline and the pantomime-influenced "Puss In Boots" duly made the Top 5. The revival was only temporary, however, and by the end of 1983, Adam's chart career was practically non-existent. The original god of the "New Pop" seemed commercially bankrupt, his place taken by new idols such as Duran Duran, Culture Club and Wham!. Even an appearance at Live Aid in 1985 with "Vive Le Rock" could only produce a number 50 UK chart entry and Goddard switched adroitly to acting. A surprise chart comeback (number 13) in 1990 with "Room At The Top" appeared a lucky strike and did not seriously distract the singer from his thespian pursuits. A new album in 1995, promoted by concert appearances in West London, provoked further media saturation and good reviews, but little in terms of record sales. The next time Ant made the news was in a distressing series of incidents in the London area in January 2002, following which he was legally confined at the Royal Free Hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act. He pleaded guilty to affray charges in August, and was sentenced to a year's community service and rehabilitation treatment in October. He was arrested again the following June.