John Cooper Clarke was born in Salford in 1949. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as part of the punk scene, and released several albums of 'punk poetry' at the time on the Rabid Records label. He appeared on the bill with famous musicians, including Joy Division, The Fall, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Buzzcocks, and New Order, amongst many others.

In July 2013, Clarke was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts in "acknowledgement of a career which has spanned five decades, bringing poetry to non-traditional audiences and influencing musicians and comedians" by the University of Salford.

Clarke continues to write and perform. In 2018 his book The Luckiest Guy Alive was published by Picador/ Macmillan. He is often cited as an influence on contemporary musicians, including the band Arctic Monkeys.