Editing David Sylvian (section)

===Early years===
David Sylvian was born David Alan Batt in [[Beckenham]], [[Kent]], England.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He grew up in nearby [[Lewisham]], South London, in a working-class home. His father Bernard was a [[plasterer]] by trade, his mother Sheila a housewife. He had an older sister and a younger brother, [[Steve Jansen|Steve]]. Sylvian later said he never enjoyed his childhood, mainly because of the environment of mid-1960s Lewisham. In 1966, he and Steve applied to appear in an advertisement for [[Mattel]]'s [[Major Matt Mason]] action figures.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=davidsylvian58|number=1607486783306227715|title=… someone (not Santa) is coming to pick u up for a little Christmas outing}}</ref> As an escape and emotional release from his discomfort he found an interest in music via his sister, who brought [[Motown]] and [[Soul music|soul]] records to the home. He attended Catford Boys School where he became a friend of Anthony Michaelides, later known as [[Mick Karn]]. When David received an acoustic guitar and his brother a drum kit as Christmas presents from their father, the three boys began to play music together.<ref>Power, Martin, ''David Sylvian: The Last Romantic''. Omnibus Press, 2012, chapter 1</ref>