Robert James Smith

Happy birthday Robert James Smith (born 21 April 1959) an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the lead singer, guitarist, lyricist and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure. He is the band's only constant member since its formation in 1976. He has been described as "pop culture's unkempt poster child of doom and gloom". He also played guitar in the band Siouxsie and the Banshees. Smith is a multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique stage look, such as his teased hair, smudged makeup and distinctive voice.
Smith was born in the Lancashire town of Blackpool and is the third of four children born to James Alexander and Rita Mary (née Emmott) Smith. Smith came from a musical family – his father sang and his mother played the piano.
Raised Catholic, he later became an atheist. When he was three years old, in December 1962 his family moved to Horley, Surrey, where he later attended St Francis Primary School, before the family moved to Crawley, West Sussex, in March 1966, where Smith attended St Francis Junior School. He later attended Notre Dame Middle School (1970–72) and St Wilfrid's Comprehensive School, Crawley (1972–77).
He played in junior football team - Wasps (Three Bridges) at the age of 15.
Robert Smith has said that his first band when he was fourteen consisted of "my brother Richard, some of his friends and my younger sister Janet. It was called The Crawley Goat Band – brilliant!" However, while The Crawley Goat Band may have been Smith's first regular group, he would have been just thirteen when he and his Notre Dame schoolmates gave their first one-off performance together as The Obelisk; an early incarnation of what would eventually become The Cure. The Obelisk featured Robert Smith (still playing piano at this point), alongside Marc Ceccagno (lead guitar), Michael Dempsey (guitar), Alan Hill (bass) and Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst (percussion) and, according to The Cure's official biography Ten Imaginary Years, gave their only performance at a school function in April 1972. Jeff Apter, however, dates the performance to April 1973, which is at variance with Smith and his bandmates having already left Notre Dame Middle School by this time.
Robert Smith has credited his older siblings Richard and Margaret with exposing him to rock music such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones when he was six years old. He has said that his early songwriting "was influenced by early Beatles – the sense of a three-minute guitar-pop song", and early in his career The Cure's second single Boys Don't Cry was compared by British music paper Record Mirror to "John Lennon at 12 or