Robert Smith

Robert Smith

Robert Smith is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with The Cure. He has also been associated with Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Glove and COGASM.

Quick Facts

Canonical Name Robert Smith
Born April 21, 1959
Birthplace Blackpool, Lancashire, North West England, England, United Kingdom
Country United Kingdom
Occupations singer-songwriter, guitarist, singer, manufacturer, keyboardist
Instruments guitar, bass guitar, electronic keyboard, voice
Gender male
Genres alternative rock, gothic rock, post-punk, new wave
Associated Acts The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Glove, COGASM
Active Years Active since 1978

Identity and Aliases

Name Type Source
Robert Smith Canonical Name System
Robert James Smith Alias Wikidata
RS Alias MusicBrainz
Robert James Smith Legal name MusicBrainz
Smith Alias MusicBrainz

Biography

Robert Smith is an English singer, guitarist, keyboardist and songwriter whose career has been closely identified with The Cure. Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, he has been active since 1978 and is associated with alternative rock, gothic rock, post-punk and new wave.

Across his career, Smith has worked as a vocalist and instrumentalist on guitar, bass guitar and electronic keyboard, with his voice central to his sound. Alongside The Cure, he has been connected to Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Glove, COGASM, Cult Hero and The Easy Cure.

Smith’s profile as a musician extends across multiple roles, reflecting a career built around singing, writing and performance rather than a single position in a band. He is also noted as having the aliases Robert James Smith, RS and Smith.

Career Timeline

Year / Period Event Detail Source
1959 Born Blackpool, Lancashire, North West England, England, United Kingdom Wikidata
1976–present Member of The Cure MusicBrainz
1978 Career Start Active period begins Wikidata
1982–1984 Member of Siouxsie and the Banshees Wikidata
Date not specified Member of The Easy Cure MusicBrainz
Date not specified Member of Cult Hero MusicBrainz
Date not specified Member of COGASM Wikidata
Date not specified Member of The Glove Wikidata

Musical Roles

Robert Smith is credited as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, singer, keyboardist and musician working on voice, guitar, bass guitar and electronic keyboard. His catalogued roles point to a flexible studio and live presence across several alternative rock styles.

Role Source
singer-songwriter Wikidata
guitarist Wikidata
singer Wikidata
manufacturer Wikidata
keyboardist Wikidata

Bands and Projects

Band / Project Relationship Source
The Cure Member of Wikidata
Siouxsie and the Banshees Member of Wikidata
The Glove Member of Wikidata
COGASM Member of Wikidata

Releases and Appearances

MusicBrainz lists several release entries connected to Robert Smith. These entries may include solo releases, guest appearances, live recordings, and catalogued metadata records.

MusicBrainz-listed Releases and Appearances

Title Year Type Classification Source
Friday I’m in Love / Just Like Heaven (live from Glastonbury) (a BBC recording) 2025 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
How Not to Drown 2021 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Song Machine: Strange Timez 2020 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
It Never Was the Same / There’s a Girl in the Corner 2015 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Not in Love 2010 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Please 2007 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Asian Knights: Japan Tour 1983 2006 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Da Hype 2004 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
A Forest 2003 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz

Recorded Performances & Appearances

MusicBrainz-listed recording entries connected to Robert Smith include:

Song Title Artist / Group Relationship Source
(Get a) Grip (On Yourself) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (Exor mix) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (Music Video) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (Ron Van Den Beuken & Exor remix / B & J Vocalised edit) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (Ron van den Beuken remix) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (Schwarzwald mix) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (short cut) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (snippet) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz
A Forest (Tripeller remix) Robert Smith Performer MusicBrainz

Musical Style and Instruments

Robert Smith is associated with alternative rock, gothic rock, post-punk and new wave. His work is shaped by his role as both vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.

Genres

alternative rock gothic rock post-punk new wave

Instruments

guitar bass guitar electronic keyboard voice

Collaborations and Guest Relationships

Artist Relationship Source
Mary Theresa Poole Married MusicBrainz
Margaret Smith Sibling MusicBrainz
Janet Smith Sibling MusicBrainz

External Identifiers & Authority Control

Robert Smith has associated identifiers across MusicBrainz, Discogs, Spotify, IMDb, VIAF, ISNI, GND and the Library of Congress.

Platform Identifier Purpose Source Confidence Link
MusicBrainz 7d1a1624-784b-4f89-8ff9-b9b493cd059d Music metadata Wikidata High View Profile
Discogs 73783 Discography database Wikidata High View Profile
Spotify 0SHJWEBfbcjkE8bGiSTykk Streaming profile Wikidata High View Profile
IMDb nm0809733 Film/media profile Wikidata High View Profile
VIAF 66490823 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
ISNI 0000000114467064 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
GND 134524713 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
Library of Congress nb2006002212 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile

Semantic Graph Data (Knowledge Graph)

Subject Predicate Object Source Confidence
Robert Smith citizenship United Kingdom Wikidata high
Robert Smith date_of_birth April 21, 1959 Wikidata high
Robert Smith family_name Smith Wikidata high
Robert Smith gender male Wikidata high
Robert Smith given_name Robert Wikidata high
Robert Smith place_of_birth Blackpool, Lancashire, North West England, England, United Kingdom Wikidata high
Robert Smith member_of The Cure Wikidata high
Robert Smith member_of Siouxsie and the Banshees Wikidata high
Robert Smith member_of The Glove Wikidata high
Robert Smith member_of COGASM Wikidata high
Robert Smith instrument guitar Wikidata high
Robert Smith instrument bass guitar Wikidata high
Robert Smith instrument electronic keyboard Wikidata high
Robert Smith instrument voice Wikidata high
Robert Smith occupation singer-songwriter Wikidata high
Robert Smith occupation guitarist Wikidata high
Robert Smith occupation singer Wikidata high
Robert Smith occupation manufacturer Wikidata high
Robert Smith occupation keyboardist Wikidata high
Robert Smith genre alternative rock Wikidata high
Robert Smith genre gothic rock Wikidata high
Robert Smith genre post-punk Wikidata high
Robert Smith genre new wave Wikidata high
Robert Smith member of band The Cure MusicBrainz high
Robert Smith member of band Siouxsie and the Banshees MusicBrainz high
Robert Smith member of band COGASM MusicBrainz high
Robert Smith member of band The Glove MusicBrainz high
Robert Smith member of band Cult Hero MusicBrainz high
Robert Smith member of band The Easy Cure MusicBrainz high
Robert Smith sameAs MusicBrainz Artist ID: 7d1a1624-784b-4f89-8ff9-b9b493cd059d Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs Discogs Artist ID: 73783 Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs Spotify Artist ID: 0SHJWEBfbcjkE8bGiSTykk Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs IMDb Artist ID: nm0809733 Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs VIAF Artist ID: 66490823 Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs ISNI Artist ID: 0000000114467064 Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs GND Artist ID: 134524713 Wikidata High
Robert Smith sameAs Library of Congress Artist ID: nb2006002212 Wikidata High

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Robert Smith best known for working with?

A: He is best known for his work with The Cure. He has also been associated with Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Glove and COGASM.

Q: What kind of musician is Robert Smith?

A: He is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His roles include guitarist and keyboardist.

Q: Where was Robert Smith born?

A: He was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, in North West England. That place has remained a key part of his biography.

Q: When was Robert Smith born?

A: Robert Smith was born on April 21, 1959.

Q: What genres is Robert Smith associated with?

A: He is associated with alternative rock, gothic rock, post-punk and new wave.

Q: What instruments does Robert Smith play?

A: He is associated with guitar, bass guitar, electronic keyboard and voice.

Q: When did Robert Smith begin his career?

A: His active period is listed as beginning in 1978.

Q: What other bands is Robert Smith connected to?

A: He is connected with Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Glove, Cult Hero, The Easy Cure and COGASM.

Data Quality and Sources

Quality Score
91/100
Last Updated
May 18, 2026
Entity Stats
35 Facts
8 Identifiers
33 Relationships
Primary Sources
Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Discogs, GuitarRank Editorial