Robert James Smith was born on April 21, 1959, in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, to Alex and Rita Smith. He was the third of four children, with Richard, Margaret, and Janet being his siblings. Robert lived in Blackpool until he was three years old, and then his family moved to Horley, Surrey, England, where he attended St. Francis Primary School. In March 1966, his family relocated to Crawley, Sussex, England, where he attended St. Francis Junior School until 1970.
Robert then spent two years at Notre Dame Middle School, which was an experimental school known for its innovative teaching methods. From 1972 to 1977, he attended St. Wilfrid's Comprehensive School, where he met Mary Poole, the girl who would later become his wife and the inspiration behind many of The Cure's songs.
In 1976, Robert formed The Easy Cure with Michael Dempsey, Lol Tolhurst, and Porl Thompson. The band dropped "Easy" from their name in 1978, and Porl Thompson left the group shortly after. The Cure then signed with Polydor Records and released their debut album, Three Imaginary Boys, in 1979.
The band went through several lineup changes throughout the 1980s, with Michael Dempsey leaving in 1979 and being replaced by Simon Gallup and Matthieu Hartley. Lol Tolhurst left the band in 1982 due to his struggles with alcoholism, and Robert and Simon had a falling out in 1982, which resulted in Robert not speaking to Simon for a year.
The Cure released several successful albums throughout the 1980s, including Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and Disintegration. The band's commercial success continued into the 1990s, with the release of albums such as Wish and Wild Mood Swings.
In the 2000s, The Cure released several compilation albums, including Greatest Hits and Join the Dots. The band also released a box set titled Trilogy, which featured live performances of three of their albums: Pornography, Disintegration, and Bloodflowers.
Throughout his career, Robert Smith has been known for his distinctive voice, songwriting skills, and iconic style. He has been the lead vocalist and guitarist of The Cure since the band's formation in 1976, and has been the driving force behind the band's creative direction.
