John Cooper Clarke, born in 1949, is an English performance poet and comedian known as the "punk poet" of the late 1970s. He gained recognition for his sharp, rapid-fire verse delivered on stage alongside punk and post-punk bands. Throughout his career, he has released several albums, often backed by the Invisible Girls, a musical group featuring Martin Hannett, Steve Hopkins, Pete Shelley, Bill Nelson, and Paul Burgess. Clarke remains an active and influential presence in performance poetry.