Ian Hunter (born Ian Hunter Patterson, 3 June 1939, Oswestry, Shropshire) is an English singer songwriter. He is the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974 and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and he continued in this vein after he left the band. As the leading figure in Mott The Hoople, but facing ill-health and disillusioned with commercial success, he embarked on a solo career, often in collaboration with Mott The Hoople's guitarist Mick Ronson, who was well-known as David Bowie's sideman and arranger from the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars period. Mott The Hoople achieved a certain level of commercial success and a small but devoted fan base. As a solo artist Hunter at times made the charts while most consistently releasing lesser-known but more wide-ranging works outside the rock mainstream. Among his best-known solo records are "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (later covered by Great White) and "Cleveland Rocks," made famous from a cover version on the American TV series The Drew Carey Show.