The Cure’s frontman who inspired millions — but hated being stared at

For more than four decades, Robert Smith has been one of the most instantly recognisable figures in music.

The wild black hair, the smudged lipstick, the eyeliner and the haunting voice helped turn The Cure frontman into an icon — inspiring generations of fans to dress just like him.

But strangely enough, the man behind one of music’s most famous looks has never been entirely comfortable with being looked at.

Speaking about seeing rows of Robert Smith lookalikes staring back at him from the crowd, Smith admitted there was one small problem — he could barely see them.

Listen to the Backstory from HOT 1027’s Classic Countdown below:

Photos: facebook.com/thecure

Source: uDiscover Music 

“I’ve got such short sight, I very rarely see any of them,” he joked.

But behind the humour was something deeper. Smith revealed he had always struggled with the level of attention that came with success, saying he never imagined The Cure would reach a point where his personal life would be affected by fame.

Despite selling millions of records and influencing countless artists, Smith has often described himself as someone who never chased traditional rock stardom.

By the early 1990s, The Cure had become a global force. Their 1992 album Wish — featuring the classic “Friday I’m In Love” — pushed them into stadium territory, but Smith later admitted that period was overwhelming. Instead of enjoying the idea of becoming “the biggest band in the world”, he found himself wanting to step away from the machine.

It’s an unusual contradiction: an artist whose appearance became legendary, while the person underneath remained shy, private and deeply uncomfortable with celebrity.

Perhaps that honesty is exactly why fans connected with him.

Robert Smith never tried to become the perfect rock star. He simply created music on his own terms — and accidentally became one anyway.

Check out The Cure’s “The Lovecats” music video below: