Adam Ant - Biography

Biography

Stuart Goddard was born an only child in Marylebone. One of the themes he used in his later work — oppressed minorities — was part of his heritage; he is of Romani descent. His maternal grandfather, Walter Albany Smith, was Romanichal. Home was two rooms in De Walden buildings, St John's Wood. He recalls "There was no luxury, but there was always food on the table." His father, Leslie Goddard, worked as a chauffeur and his mother, Betty Kathleen Smith, was a domestic cleaner, briefly working for Paul McCartney.

His parents divorced when Goddard was seven years old, mainly on account of Les Goddard's chronic alcoholism and abusive behaviour. Goddard's first school was Robinsfield Infants School, where he created a considerable stir by throwing a brick through one of the head-teacher's office windows. In the aftermath of this incident, Goddard was placed under the supervision of teacher Joanna Saloman, who encouraged him to develop his abilities in art and whom he would later credit as the first person to show him he could be creative artistically. He continued to attend Robinsfield and subsequently gained a place at St Marylebone Grammar School where he later became a school prefect.

After taking and passing his A levels, Goddard went on to the famous Hornsey College of Art to study graphic design and for a time was a student of Peter Webb. He later dropped out of Hornsey, short of completing his B.A., to focus on a career in music.