Adolescent glitter rocker Ricky (sometimes "Ricki") Wilde was born Richard James Reginald Steven Smith in London on November 6, 1961. The son of pre-Beatles pop star Marty Wilde and former Vernons Girls member Joyce Barker, he made his recorded debut at the age of 11, issuing "I Am an Astronaut" -- a marvelously weird homage to Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie, made all the remarkable by Wilde's squeaky, prepubescent vocal stylings -- on convicted pedophile Jonathan King's UK label in 1972. Despite starring in a BBC documentary titled Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and earning considerable ink in teen magazines both at home and abroad, the record cracked the Swedish Top Ten but was a flop everywhere else; a similar fate befell the follow-up, a 1973 reading of Pat Boone's "April Love." After the little-noticed "Do It Again, a Little Bit Slower," Wilde resurfaced in 1974 with "Mrs. Malinski," a tribute to a beloved teacher; with the would-be anthem "Teen Wave" the singer reached his creative zenith, delivering a glam classic notable for its prescient employment of the synthesizer. Yet again the public wasn't buying, however, and after one last stab at chart success with "I Wanna Go to a Disco," Wilde effectively retired at the age of 13. A 1980 comeback attempt proved most notable for launching the career of his older sister, Kim -- Wilde and dad Marty went on to co-write and co-produce Kim's biggest hits, most famously the '80s-era anthem "Kids in America." In 1982, Wilde also co-produced "Sensitive," the debut solo single by ex-Japan member Mick Karn. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi