The ex St Wilfrid's pupil, whose family still live in the area, was awarded the accolade by the NME.

Previous winners include Ozzy Osbourne, New Order, The Clash, and the Manic Street Preachers.

The Cure played their first ever show in Crawley – and it starred a
reporter from the Observer.

The band performed to a sell-out-crowd at St Wilfrid's School in December 1976, under their old name of Malice.

Speaking on the 30th anniversary of the show, assistant headteacher David Buckley told the Observer that the band, nursed in the school's sixth form, were still thought of fondly.

He told us: "We still look at them with affection, they have worldwide
fame and it's not very often that someone like that omes to your school.

"We studied te rise of them in the early 80s and we still keep an eye out for them now.

"One of my female colleagues, a science teacher, once told
Robert that he should concentrate on lessons and not this music! I think she probably regrets it now!"

The sixth form combo recruited Observer journalist Martin Creasy for the
show, even though he had never rehearsed with them.

Nick Crocker, who teaches Religious Studies at St Wilfrid's, was in Robert S m i t h ' s French class and remembered seeing Malice
back in 1976.

Last year he told the Observer: "I remember the show at the school quite well.

"It was like any new band in the early stages. Robert Smith wasn't fronting them then though - it was this guy in a full suit if I
remember correctly.

"They played a lot of covers, they started with the Boys are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy I think and they did Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix."

M r Crocker also revealed what the young Smith was like as a schoolboy.

He said:"Robert was very bright; I think he found the academic side of work quite easy. He was always into m u s i c and he was obviously
creative.

"His clothes weren't really that different from everyone else. He was the same as lots of people that age trying to personalise their uniform and make it all look individual."

Mr Crocker added: "Before I came to St Wilfrid's and was at
school with him I knew who Robert Smith was as I used to
play against him at football. He had really flat hair!"