Mark E. Smith

Mark E. Smith was an English singer, lyricist, and the enduring leader of the post-punk group the Fall. Formed in Manchester in 1976, the band became known for abrasive repetition, shifting personnel, and Smith's sharply observant delivery. Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith presents his own account of that history, developed with writer Austin Collings and first published by Viking in 2008. The book is conversational rather than chronological, moving through early employment, the Fall's changing lineups, touring disputes, records, and Smith's opinions about music and British life. Its insider perspective complements, but does not replace, the many critical studies written about him. Smith remained the sole constant member of the Fall until his death in 2018, overseeing more than thirty studio albums, including Hex Enduction Hour and This Nation's Saving Grace. Renegade captures the same combative wit and resistance to tidy interpretation that shaped his lyrics, interviews, and unusually long independent career.