Post-punk band Gang of Four's Jon King on how music took him from a south London slum and impoverished working-class background to international success in the legendary band, which performed its final tour in 2025. Jon talks to Siân Pattenden about his  kaleidoscopic journey, from being barred from Top of the Pops to being supported by bands like REM and playing with the likes of Talking Heads.

Jon King is a singer, musician, songwriter, and Grammy nominated art director, best known as the singer of the post-punk band Gang of Four. He co-wrote and co-produced Entertainment!, Gang of Four's debut album, regularly listed as among the top 100 albums of all time and described by Rolling Stone magazine as 'the best debut album by a British band – punk or otherwise – since the original English release of The Clash in 1977'. Born into a working-class family in London, his family moved to Kent when he was 4 years old... a move that would kickstart for Jon a change of fortune.