It is 40 years to the day since Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis died by suicide at the age of just 23. The singer released two albums with the band in 1979’s Unknown Pleasures and 1980’s Closer with their music going on to have a huge influence on the likes of U2, The Cure and Radiohead. Now four decades on from May 18, 1980, and Joy Division’s Peter Hook and Stephen Morris have been celebrating the short life of their friend in a new interview.

Speaking with The Independent, Joy Division bassist Hook said: “Ian was very, very likeable.

“He was very easy-going until he got drunk. He was a real nice man.

“Very easy to, if you like, fall in love with.

“And then when he started singing – and don’t forget, our equipment was absolutely s***e – we couldn’t hear what he was doing but you could see what he was doing, which was putting in the same amount of passion, enthusiasm and anger.”

READ MORE: Bernard Sumner tried to save Ian Curtis with graveyard trip

In 2007, an Ian Curtis biopic called Control was released.

Sam Riley starred as Joy Division’s frontman.

The film followed the events of the singer and his wife Deborah’s lives from 1973 to 1980.

Control won Best Film at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

The year 1980 was a tragic one for music star deaths.

Others artists we lost include John Lennon, John Bonham and Bon Scott.

Also, Steve Took, John Poulos and Tommy Caldwell.

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