Keith Flint |
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 Flint in 2009 |
| Background information |
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| Birth name | Keith Charles Flint |
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| Born | 17 September 1969
Redbridge, London, England |
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| Died | 4 March 2019 (aged 49)
Great Dunmow, Essex, England |
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| Genres | |
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| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, dancer |
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| Associated acts |  |
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Keith Charles Flint (17 September 1969 – 4 March 2019) was an English vocalist and dancer most associated with the electronic dance act The Prodigy. Starting out as a dancer, he became the frontman of the group and performed on the group's two UK number one singles, "Firestarter" and "Breathe" both released in 1996. He was also the lead singer of his own band Flint. He owned a motorcycle racing team, Team Traction Control, which won three Isle of Man TT races in 2015 and competed in the British Supersport Championship.
Early life[edit]
Flint was born in Redbridge, London, England, to Clive and Yvonne Flint, on 17 September 1969[1][2] and initially raised in East London; in the mid-1970s his parents moved out to Springfield, Essex. His childhood was described as unhappy and he feuded with his parents, who parted when he was young.[3] He attended the Boswells School in Chelmsford and moved to Braintree after leaving school.[4] Flint was described as being a "bright boy with dyslexia" and was disruptive in class. He was expelled from school at the age of 15. Flint then worked as a roofer and later enthusiastically embraced the acid house scene of the late 80s.[3]
Music career[edit]
In the late 1980s Flint met DJ Liam Howlett at local rave club the Barn in Braintree and said he liked Howlett's taste in music. After kineticing 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.
Originally Flint was the band's dancer, but in 1996 he sang on the hit single "Firestarter", the accompanying video showcasing Flint's new and soon iconic punk look.[7] This trend continued with the next Prodigy single "Breathe", on which Flint sang lead vocals, with Maxim backing him up.[8]
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".[9] In 2002, the single "Baby's Got a Temper" was released.[10] 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.[11]
The Prodigy album, Invaders Must Die, was released on 23 February 2009 and featured vocals by Flint on multiple tracks.[12] Flint released a single titled "War" with dubstep artistCaspa in 2012.[13]
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.[14]
Motorcycle racing[edit]
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,[15] which competed in the British Supersport Championship as part of theBritish Superbike Championship. In 2015 Team Traction Control machines won two Isle of Man TT races, ridden by Ian Hutchinson.[16]
Personal life[edit]
Flint dated TV presenter Gail Porter; the couple split in 2000.[17] Flint was subsequently married to Mayumi Kai, a Japanese DJ.[18]
In 2014, he bought and renovated the Leather Bottle pub in Pleshey, Essex.[19] He ended his connection with the pub in 2017.[20]
On 4 March 2019, following concerns for his welfare, police were called to Flint's home inNorth End, near Great Dunmow, Essex, where he was found dead.[3] The police did not treat his death as suspicious. His bandmate Liam Howlett stated via Instagram that Flint ended his own life.[3][8] Later that day, the official band website went black with an announcement of his suicide.[21] In response to his death, The Prodigy cancelled all scheduled shows.[22]
