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Keith Flint

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Keith Flint
Flint in 2009
Flint in 2009
Background information
Birth nameKeith Charles Flint
Born(1969-09-17)17 September 1969
Redbridge, London, England
Died4 March 2019(2019-03-04) (aged 49)
Great Dunmow, Essex, England
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals

Keith Charles Flint (17 September 1969 – c. 4 March 2019) was an English singer, musician and dancer. He was the vocalist and dancer for the electronic music band The Prodigy and sang on the group's two 1996 UK number one singles – "Firestarter" and "Breathe". He was also the lead singer of his own band Flint. He owned a motorcycle race team, Team Traction Control, which won three Isle of Man TT races in 2015 and competed in the British Supersport Championship running Yamaha YZF-R6 motorcycles.

Early life

Flint was born in Redbridge, London, England, to Clive and Yvonne Flint[1] and initially raised in East London; in the mid-1970s his parents moved out to Springfield, Essex. Keith attended the Boswells School in Chelmsford and moved to Braintree after leaving school.[2]

Music career

Flint and live guitarist Rob Holliday

In the late 1980s, Flint met DJ Liam Howlett at local rave club the Barn in Braintree, and expressed his appreciation of Howlett's taste in music.[3] After receiving a mixtape from Howlett, Flint came back with great enthusiasm, insisting that Howlett should be playing his tracks up on stage, and that Flint, along with friend Leeroy Thornhill, would dance to them.[4]

Originally Flint was the band's dancer, but in 1996 he featured as the vocalist on the hit single "Firestarter", the accompanying video showcasing Flint's new punk look.[5] This trend continued with the next Prodigy single "Breathe", on which Flint performed the lead vocals, whilst Maxim performed backup.[6]

The 1997 album The Fat of the Land featured Flint's vocal contributions to several tracks, namely "Breathe", "Serial Thrilla", "Fuel My Fire" and "Firestarter".[7] In 2002, the single "Baby's Got a Temper" was released.[8] On the next Prodigy album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004), Flint did not perform any vocals, although he did appear on the "Hotride – El Batori Mix", on the "Hotride" single.[9]

The Prodigy album, Invaders Must Die, was released on 23 February 2009 and featured vocals by Flint on multiple tracks.[10] Flint released a single titled "War" with dubstep artist Caspa in 2012.[11]

Flint experimented with several solo/side projects, including the bands Flint and Clever Brains Fryin'. Only one single, "Aim4" by Flint, was released commercially, with Flint's debut album, Device #1, being cancelled before release.[12]

Motorcycle racing

Flint was a keen motorcyclist. He rode 1,500 miles from England to southern Spain to attend the 2007 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix, and also raced in club competitions. He rode with Lee Thompson of the band Madness. He had his own motorcycle team, Team Traction Control,[13] which competed in the British Supersport Championship as part of the British Superbike Championship package. In 2015 Team Traction Control machines won two Isle of Man TT races, ridden by Ian Hutchinson.[14]

Personal life

Flint dated TV presenter Gail Porter: the couple split in 2000.[15] Flint was subsequently married to Mayumi Kai, a Japanese DJ.[16]

In 2014, he bought and renovated The Leather Bottle pub in Pleshey, Essex.[17] He ended his connection with the pub in 2017.[18]

Death

On the morning of 4 March 2019, following concerns for his welfare, police were called to Flint's home, in Great Dunmow, Essex, where he was found dead.[19] The police were not treating his death as suspicious. Liam Howlett, who formed The Prodigy in 1990, stated via Instagram that his death was a suicide.[6][19]

Discography

Source:[20]

The Prodigy

Flint

References

  1. ^ England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916–2005, Sep 1969, Vol 5d, Page 2989
  2. ^ "Keith Flint biography". The Prodigy. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  3. ^ Roach 2010, p. 22.
  4. ^ Roach 2010, p. 23.
  5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited.
  6. ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (4 March 2019). "Keith Flint: Prodigy singer dies aged 49". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  7. ^ Comeau, Dave (4 March 2019). "Best Keith Flint Prodigy songs as fans pay tribute following singer's sudden death". Surrey Live. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Prodigy single "Tempered" by radio". NME. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  9. ^ "The Prodigy – "Hotride"". discogs.org. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Invaders Must Die". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  11. ^ War (Media notes). Virgin Records. 2012. VST2050.
  12. ^ "Keith Flint Glad His Solo Career Flopped". Contact Music. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Great guy who loved his racing: Motorcycle tributes to Prodigy singer and Team Traction Control owner Keith Flint". The Belfast Telegrapg. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Keith Flint confirms Hutchinson Ride For TT in 2016". Isle of Man TT. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  15. ^ "'Babies look at me and stop crying. It's like I'm one of them'". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Prodigy singer Flint to wed". Irish Examiner. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Interview with Essex band The Prodigy for new album release The Day Is My Enemy". 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ Youell, Clare (24 March 2017). "The Prodigy's Keith Flint quits running pub near Chelmsford". Essex Live.
  19. ^ a b Mark Savage (4 March 2019). "The Prodigy's Keith Flint dies aged 49". BBC News. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  20. ^ "The Prodigy – Albums". Discogs. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Flint + The Prodigy". Discogs. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

Books

External links

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