By Parasuram das
The Food For All band took to the stage last Saturday at the famous Half Moon, for a sold out gig in honour of a wonderful devotee and singer Maharani Devi or as the world knew her Polystyrene, singer with X-ray Specs. Maharani left her body a few years ago due to cancer, but she had a great positive effect on millions of young people. She kept her spiritual life always at the forefront of her life, she is greatly missed by so many.
Parasuram das: HG Maharani dd passed away last Monday 25th April. Known to millions of people as Poly Styrene from the band X-ray Spex. Her body was battling cancer.
She was a massive influence on the early 80’s generation, and a lovely devotee. She was certainly a big influence in my life. Turned me into a rebel with a low tolerance capacity for hypocrisy. When she became a devotee in 1981 we all went ‘wow’. There must be something real in Hare Krishna.
I have put a little video together from her interviews on channel 4.
Photo credit: Danny Clifford/WENN
The former X-Ray Spex frontwoman and real name Marianne Elliott-Said, Poly Styrene opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year but sadly passed away on Monday.
A statement posted on her official Twitter feed reads, “We can confirm that the beautiful Poly Styrene, who has been a true fighter, won her battle on Monday evening to go to higher places.”
The rocker formed her band after watching the Sex Pistols perform on her 18th birthday and X-Ray Spex gained a place in punk history with their album “Germ Free Adolescents” and hit track “Oh Bondage Up Yours!”
Following the release of her solo album “Translucence” in 1980, Poly Styrene stepped out of the spotlight to join the Hare Krishna movement, occasionally re-emerging onto the music scene. She released her third solo album, “Generation Indigo”, last month.
Boy George has led the tributes to the star, writing on his Twitter.com page, “I was a fan of Poly before I got to know her, she was a Krishna follower too, oh bless you Polly you will be missed! Legend!”