Never was a couple so combustible, but their relationship in the 80s would influence their entire life’s work. In an extract from a new biography of Childish, the pair, who are somehow still friends, give their side of the story
Bill Lewis – Billy Childish’s great friend and collaborator in the Medway Poets and other endeavours since 1978 – says that Tracey Emin and Billy Childish are two people who should never have been together, romantically. You will not find anybody who knows either who disagrees with this assessment. And yet, Billy Childish and Tracey Emin were romantically together between 1982 and 1985.
What is indisputable is that Emin was a great muse for Childish, first in the many paintings, book covers and record sleeve artwork he produced of them together, continuing to echo through songs contained on the 150-odd albums he’s released since their meeting, as well as a subject within dozens of poetry collections and autobiographical novels. And that Childish was also the defining influence on Emin’s future art. He was her first love. What’s also true is that after Emin was nominated for the Turner prize in 1999, they didn’t speak to each other for 10 years. We will now consider the two primary eyewitness statements to their relationship.
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