Introduction
Christopher John Dyke Acland (7 September 1966 – 17 October 1996) was an English musician. He was the drummer of the London-based shoegazing and Britpop band Lush.
Early life
Acland was born in Lancaster Infirmary. He was the son of Oliver Geoffrey Dyke Acland and Judith Veronica Williams, and the great-grandson of Sir Francis Dyke Acland, the 14th Baronet Acland.
Career
He played in a number of bands, including The Infection, Les Turds, A Touch of Hysteria and Panic, before founding Lush in 1988 with Steve Rippon, Emma Anderson, Meriel Barham and Miki Berenyi. After personnel changes gave way to a stable lineup, Lush released their debut mini album, Scar, and developed a following as a live act. They would go on to release three albums and several singles and EPs and achieve critical success.
Personal life and death
Acland was a fan of football and a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
On 17 October 1996, after Lush had completed their tour and music festival appearances, and two days after Anderson announced a desire to quit the band, Acland hanged himself in his parents' garden in Burneside, Cumbria. His bandmates in Lush were devastated and disbanded after a period of mourning.