Paul Francis Gadd, born on May 8, 1944, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, is a British former singer who rose to international fame under the flamboyant stage name Gary Glitter. He became one of the most recognizable figures of the glam rock era in the 1970s, captivating audiences with his glittering suits, heavy makeup, and towering platform boots. Glitter’s energetic live performances and anthemic, chant-heavy rock songs propelled him to the top of the charts, where he enjoyed a sustained period of commercial success. His career, however, was irrevocably shattered by a series of child sexual abuse convictions that transformed him from a celebrated pop icon into a pariah and a "public hate figure," as described by music journalist Alexis Petridis.

Before adopting his iconic persona, Gadd performed under the name Paul Raven during the 1960s, struggling to find a foothold in the music industry. His breakthrough came in the early 1970s when he reinvented himself as Gary Glitter and released a string of massive hits, including "Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)", "Do You Wanna Touch Me", "I Love You Love Me Love", "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)", and "Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again". The song "Rock and Roll" became a global phenomenon, and his 1973 album, Touch Me, peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. Over his career, Glitter sold more than 20 million records and charted 26 hit singles in the UK, spending a total of 180 weeks on the charts, with three reaching number one. As of 2001, he was listed among the top 100 most successful UK chart acts of all time. While his popularity waned in the late 1970s, he staged a successful comeback in the 1980s, with his 1984 single "Another Rock and Roll Christmas" becoming one of the most played Christmas songs in history. In 1998, "Rock and Roll" was listed among the top 1,001 songs in music history, and he released seven studio albums alongside numerous compilations and live recordings.

Glitter’s legacy was permanently tarnished in 1997 when he was arrested and subsequently convicted in 1999 for downloading thousands of child pornography images and videos, leading to a prison sentence. Although he was acquitted of a separate charge of sexual activity with an underage girl from the 1970s, his legal troubles escalated internationally. He was deported from Cambodia in 2002 on suspected child sexual abuse charges and later settled in Vietnam, where a court found him guilty of obscene acts with minors in 2006. After serving his sentence, he was deported back to the UK and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. In the wake of the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal, Glitter was arrested again in 2012 as part of Operation Yewtree. He was charged in 2014 with historical child sex offences, leading to his 2015 conviction on one count of attempted rape, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, and four counts of indecent assault. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and episodes of Top of the Pops featuring his performances were subsequently withdrawn from repeat broadcasts. Glitter was released on licence in February 2023 after serving half of his sentence but was recalled to prison the following month for breaching his licence conditions. His parole application was denied in June 2025, and in 2026, he was charged with further historical sex offences, ensuring that his name remains synonymous with disgrace rather than musical achievement.