Iconic Rock Star, With Two No. 1 Albums, Turns 47 Today

Prolific rock star Pete Doherty is celebrating his 47th birthday on March 12. The singer was among the most notorious rock stars of the early 2000s, most recognized for his work with award-winning rock band The Libertines.

Doherty rose to fame alongside his friend from university Carl Barât, with whom he formed The Libertines in the late '90s. But it wasn't until 2002 that the band finally broke into the music scene with their debut record, Up The Bracket.

The album featured hits such as "Time for Heroes", "Boys in the Band", and "Mockingbird", all of which cemented The Libertines as one of the pioneering voices in the 21st century rock-and-roll revival. Doherty began garnering particular attention from the press when his substance abuse issues caused fractures within the band.

In 2003, Doherty was briefly arrested for burglarizing Barât's apartment in London, but the pair quickly reconciled and continued to work together. Over the next few years, the band would continue to push Doherty out in order to give him the chance to improve

Despite their backstage troubles, The Libertines continued to be a leading voice in British rock throughout the 2000s. Their self-titled 2004 album climbed to No. 1 on the U.K. album charts, while the rest of their records across the next two decades also charted consistently. Their 2024 outing All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade also went to No. 1.

The Libertines' hit single "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of its era, with loud vocals and driving guitars that were emblematic of the time. NME ranked the song fifth on their list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.

Doherty has three children: one by English singer-songwriter Lisa Moorish, one by South African model Lingi Hingston, and one with his wife Katia de Vias.

The Libertines frontman continues to make music today; his most recent album, Felt Better Alive, peaked at No. 7 on the U.K. albums chart.