Brian Connolly: the glitter, the grit, and the price of being Sweet

In the 1970s, few frontmen burned brighter than Brian Connolly. With slicked-back blond hair, a mischievous grin, and a voice made for detonating choruses, he led The Sweet through a global run of glam-rock anthems—most famously the adrenaline shot of “The Ballroom Blitz.”

The numbers were staggering: 50 million records sold, 39 worldwide hits, 13 UK Top-20 singles, and a No. 1 with “Block Buster!” Money poured in; so did adoration. For a while, it looked unstoppable.

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From abandonment to the big time

Born in Scotland in 1945 as Brian MacManus, he was abandoned as an infant and raised by a nurse and her husband. His biological father was never identified; later in life he learned he was half-brother to actor Mark McManus (Taggart).