<Tr> <Th> Associated acts </Th> <Td> Joy Division </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> joydivisionofficial.com </Td> </Tr> <P> Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956--18 May 1980) was an English singer - songwriter and musician . He was the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division . Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow - up, Closer, in 1980 . </P> <P> Curtis, who suffered from epilepsy and depression, took his own life on 18 May 1980, on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour and shortly before the release of their second album . His suicide resulted in the band's dissolution and the subsequent formation of New Order . Curtis was known for his bass - baritone voice, dance style, and songwriting typically filled with imagery of desolation, emptiness, and alienation . </P>

When did the lead singer of joy division die