Ari Up was born in Munich, West Germany (17 January 1962). She was born in a very musical family as her father, Frank Forster was a German schlager singer, her mother Nora was a friend of Jimi Hendrix and her godfathers were Austrian singers and composers in the group ‘Yes.’ Ari’s mother ended up marrying John lydon, Sex Pistols’ lead singer in 1979. This is where the constant presence of punk music in the household had an impact on Ari as she started learning to play the guitar with Joe Strummer.
In 1976, at the age of 14, Ari formed the band ‘The Slits’ with drummer Palmovie and Viv Albertine. Since Ari was so young, she had to fight hard to be taken seriously. This ended up working out since by the late 1970s ‘The Slits’ were touring as the opening act for ‘The Clash.’ She became well known for her wilde hair and odd stage outfits. Her 1977 performances with ‘The Slits’ are featured in a documentary about various punk groups called The Punk Rock Movie.