The Cure began in 1976 as Easy Cure in Crawley, England, with Robert Smith (vocals, guitar), Michael Dempsey (bass), andLol Tolhurst (drums), along with guitarist Porl Thompson. Thompson departed, and the remaining trio renamed themselves TheCure. They released their debut single, "Killing an Arab," in 1978 and their first album, Three Imaginary Boys, in 1979. Followingthe darker period, Smith introduced more pop elements into the music, leading to widespread commercial success in the 1980sand 1990s. The band continued to release studio albums and has maintained a dedicated fanbase and a lasting impact on alternativerock music.