Viv Albertine

... is a British singer and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the influential, all-female English punk group, The Slits.
She was born in Sydney to a Swiss mother and a French father. She was raised in North London, attended comprehensive school in Muswell Hill, and at seventeen enrolled in the Hornsey School of Art. After completing a foundation course at Hornsey, Viv went to the Chelsea School of Art to study fashion and textile design. In 1976 while still studying at Chelsea, she helped form the early punk band The Flowers of Romance.
She was amongst the first "inner circle" fans of the Sex Pistols, and was close friends of both Mick Jones and Joe Strummer of The Clash. Shejoined The Slits as the band's guitarist, after founding member Kate Korus left in 1977. The Clash's 1979 song, "Train in Vain" has been interpreted by some as a response to "Typical Girls" by The Slits, which mentions girls standing by their men. Songwriter Mick Jones split up with Viv shortly before he wrote the song. On 5 October 2010 Viv confirmed in an interview with Cerys Matthews on BBC 6 Music that the song was written about her, describing how Jones would travel by train to visit her in her squat.
While continuing as a key member of The Slits, she contributed guitar and vocal work to The 49 Americans 1980 album E Pluribus Unum. She also became part of Adrian Sherwood's dub-influenced collective, New Age Steppers, and played on their self-titled 1981 debut album. She appeared as a guest guitarist on Singers & Players 1982 album, Revenge of the Underdog.
After The Slits disbanded in 1982, she studied film making in London. She worked as a director, mostly for television, throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s. Her freelance directing work included stints with the BBC and the British Film Institute.
In 2009, Viv began performing as a solo artist, playing venues around London showcasing new material. She performed her debut gig on September 20, 2009 in The Windmill, Brixton with Get Back Guinozzi and Little Eris supporting. In March of 2010 Albertine released a four-song debut solo E.P. titled Flesh on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label.
She recorded a cover version of David Bowie's Letter to Hermione for the Bowie tribute album We Were So Turned On: A Tribute to David Bowie which was released on September 6, 2010.
Her debut solo album is scheduled for release in 2011. The album is currently a featured project on Pledgemusic.
 

http://www.vivalbertine.com/