Before the chant echoed through stadiums… there was a man.

In the 1970s, Paul Gadd reinvented himself as Gary Glitter — a glam-rock provocateur with towering platform boots, thunderous drumbeats, and a string of hit singles that dominated the British charts. One song in particular would travel farther than the man himself, becoming one of the most recognizable sports anthems in America.

For decades, fans stomped and clapped without ever asking who wrote it.

But behind the glitter and the roar of the crowd was a darker story — one that would eventually unravel across police raids, international arrests, and a courtroom reckoning that shocked the music world.

This episode of Jonny’s Dead Air follows the rise and catastrophic fall of a man who had fame, wealth, and access… and chose to destroy it all.

 Because sometimes the most uncomfortable truth isn’t that the music was wrong.

It’s that we never looked closely at the man behind it.

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Written by Jonny Hartwell
Voiced by Jonny Hartwell
Music Credit: Reel World Audio.
A iHeart Radio Production

DISCLAIMER: This podcast contains discussions of sensitive topics...Listener discretion is strongly advised. While the stories you’ll hear are rooted in real events, not every detail is strictly historical—some moments are dramatized with creative license to bring the narrative to life. Please keep this in mind as you listen.

Jonny’s Dead Air Podcast
Written, hosted, and produced by Jonny Hartwell.
A production of iHeartRadio Pittsburgh.

Thanks for listening—and for keeping the light on.