Jimmy Somerville
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2009) |
| Jimmy Somerville | |
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 Concert in Warsaw, 10 June 2006 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James William Somerville |
| Born | 22 June 1961 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Pop, synthpop, new wave, Hi-NRG |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | London Records Gut Records BMG |
| Associated acts | Bronski Beat The Communards |
| Website | www.jimmysomerville.co.uk |
James William Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He sang in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a solo career.[1] He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice and that he was openly gay during a period of increasing socio-political debate and conflict in the UK regarding lesbian and gay rights.
Somerville's latest album, Suddenly Last Summer was released in May 2009 by Connor Pedersen Studios.
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Career [edit]
In 1983, Somerville co-founded the synth pop group Bronski Beat,[2] which proceeded to have several hits in the British charts. Their biggest hit was "Smalltown Boy" which reached #3 in the U.K. charts. Somerville played the song's titular character in the music video who leaves his hostile 'straight' hometown for the friendlier city.
Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985, and formed The Communards with classically trained pianist Richard Coles (now a Church of England vicar).[3] They had several hits, including a cover version of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes's "Don't Leave Me This Way", which spent four weeks at #1 in the UK charts, and became the biggest-selling single of 1986 in the UK. He also sang backing vocals on Fine Young Cannibals' version of "Suspicious Minds", which was a UK Top 10 hit.
The Communards split in 1988, and Somerville launched his solo career. He had several solo hits between 1989 and 1991, also singing on the second Band Aid project at the end of 1989. After releasing his 1989 album Read My Lips, which included a hit cover of Sylvester's disco classic "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" as well as a cover of The Bee Gees' hit song "To Love Somebody" a year later, Somerville left the limelight. In 1990, Somerville contributed the song "From This Moment On" to the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Hot Organization, the proceeds from which benefited AIDS research.
In 1991 Somerville provided backing vocals to a track called "Why aren't you in love with me?" from the album "Ripe" by Communards offshoot band Banderas. The Banderas duo Caroline Buckley and Sally Herbert had previously been part of Somerville's backing band.
Somerville returned in 1995 with the album Dare to Love, which included "Heartbeat", a #1 hit on the U.S. dance chart, "Hurts So Good" and "By Your Side". Another album, entitled Manage The Damage, was released in 1999, and its companion remix album Root Beer came out a year later. His dance-oriented fourth solo album, Home Again, was released in 2005.
May 2009 saw the release of Somerville's Suddenly Last Summer album, which contained acoustic interpretations of other people's songs. The album was initially only available as a digital download but in May 2010 was made available in a limited edition (3.000 copies) CD/DVD in the UK.
In 2011 Somerville released a dance EP called "Bright Thing".
Somerville has also led an acting career, appearing in Sally Potter's 1992 film of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, in Isaac Julien's 1998 Looking for Langston, and in an episode of the cult science fiction television series Lexx ("Girltown").
Discography [edit]
- Studio albums
- 1984: The Age of Consent with Bronski Beat
- 1986: Communards with The Communards
- 1987: Red with The Communards
- 1989: Read My Lips
- 1995: Dare to Love
- 1999: Manage the Damage
- 2004: Home Again
- 2009: Suddenly Last Summer
- 2012: Solent
Awards [edit]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts | British Film Institute | Grierson Award | Won[4] |
| 1991 | Himself | BRIT Awards | Best British Male | Nominated[5] |
See also [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jimmy Somerville |
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- List of Glaswegians
- List of Scottish musicians
- List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References [edit]
- ^ Walters, Barry (2000-06-20). "His beat goes on - singer Jimmy Somerville". The Advocate. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ^ "Jimmy Somerville official biography". Retrieved 2010-09-23.
- ^ Stanford, Peter (2010-01-10). "Revved Up: Richard Coles, a Very Modern Vicar". The Independent. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
- ^ "Jimmy Somerville - Awards". Internet Movie Database. IMDb. imdb.com. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
- ^ "The BRITs 1991". British Record Industry Trust. BRIT Awards. brits.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
External links [edit]
- Jimmy Somerville's official fanpage
- Jimmy Somerville's official website
- Jimmy Somerville interview
- Jimmy Somerville at the Internet Movie Database
- Jimmy Somerville Fanbase - The Blog
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