Ian Hunter (singer) - After Mott

After Mott

In March 1975 Hunter joined forces with Mick Ronson, his most frequent collaborator until Ronson's death in 1993. Hunter's first single from his eponymous solo album was the UK Top 40 hit "Once Bitten Twice Shy". Hunter and Ronson then parted professionally, reportedly due to Hunter's refusal to deal with Ronson's manager, Tony DeFries. Hunter's second solo album, All American Alien Boy, was a more soul-infused work which featured saxophonist David Sanborn and bassist Jaco Pastorius. Queen, once an opening act for Mott the Hoople, provided backing vocals on one track. His next album, Overnight Angels, was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and featured a heavier guitar sound courtesy of former Bowie sideman Earl Slick. Hunter's record label in America, Columbia Records, refused to release the album in the US due to issues concerning Hunter's management: "Overnight Angels was not released in the US because I fired my manager, Fred Heller, during the English promotional tour – just before it was to be released in America. Columbia said they didn't want to release it until I had new management and that dragged on until it became too late."

Mick Ronson returned as producer and guitarist on Hunter's 1979 album, You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, which also featured John Cale and several members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Two songs from ...Schizophrenic became successes for other artists: Barry Manilow's version of "Ships" became a top ten US hit in late 1979, and the Presidents of the United States of America's 1997 cover of "Cleveland Rocks" was used as the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. "Cleveland Rocks" is arguably Hunter's most enduring solo song; a de facto anthem in Cleveland, Ohio, where it is sometimes used as a victory song for the city's sports teams. Hunter was given the key to the city by Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich on 19 June 1979.

The bestselling status of ...Schizophrenic led Hunter's record label, Chrysalis Records, to commission the release of the double album Welcome to the Club (1980). Primarily a live album, it also features some original studio material. Todd Rundgren played lead guitar on Hunter's eleven-show 1980 US tour. Hunter's first studio album of the 1980s was Short Back 'n' Sides (1981), produced in collaboration with Ronson and Clash guitarist Mick Jones. Ronson's input on Hunter's next album, All of the Good Ones Are Taken (1983), was restricted to playing guitar on a single track. The title track became a minor hit in the US, after MTV put the song's video into heavy rotation. In the same year, Ronson travelled to Canada to produce the Payolas' album Hammer on a Drum, to which Hunter contributed backing vocals.

YUI Orta was released as a joint album by Hunter and Mick Ronson in 1990, and the pair performed alongside David Bowie and Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992. Ronson died of liver cancer a year later. Hunter wrote and recorded "Michael Picasso", a tribute to Ronson that was included on Hunter's 1996 album The Artful Dodger, the follow-up to Dirty Laundry (1995). Hunter appeared on Ronson's posthumously-released solo album, Heaven and Hull (1994), and performed at the first Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in April 1994.

In 2001, Hunter toured North America with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band as part of a line-up which included Ringo Starr, Sheila E., Greg Lake, Howard Jones, Roger Hodgson, and Mark Rivera. Hunter's studio album Rant, released the same year, received wide critical acclaim, and was followed by two live albums: 2004's Strings Attached with a 20-piece orchestra, and 2005's The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth with Mick Ralphs, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, and Brian May of Queen. Hunter won Classic Rock Magazine's Songwriter Award in October 2005. His studio album Shrunken Heads was accompanied by a three-song bonus CD, and was released in May 2007 by Jerkin' Crocus promotions in Europe and Yep Roc Records in the US. Man Overboard, released on 21 July 2009, by New West Records, is Hunter's most recent album.

Hunter's 20th solo studio album When I'm President was released on Monday September 3, 2012 in the UK on Proper Records, and on Tuesday September 4, 2012 in the US on Slimstyle Records.

Hunter continues to tour extensively across Europe and North America.