Roland Gift
| Roland Gift | |
|---|---|
 Gift pictured at a Grammy rehearsal in 1990 |
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| Born | Roland Lee Gift 28 May 1961 Birmingham, England, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Musician, Actor |
| Known for | Member of Fine Young Cannibals |
Roland Lee Gift (born 28 May 1961, Birmingham, England[1]) is a British singer and actor. He was the lead singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals.
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[edit] Biography
Gift was born in Birmingham, but grew up in Hull, where his mother, Pauline, ran several second-hand clothes shops. He was educated at Kelvin Hall School in Hull. He has two sisters, Helga and Ragna.
His first recording was with a Hull ska band Akrylykz, the second release on nearby York's Red Rhino Records.[2] Although this record was unsuccessful, it did bring him to the attention of Andy Cox and David Steele of The Beat. The Akrylykz toured with The Beat[3], which led to them in around 1985 asking him to be the lead singer of their new band Fine Young Cannibals after their old band, The Beat, had broken up. He also was a guest artist on the Ska City Rollers' Time Is Tight single.
In 1990, he was named by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world.
In 2002, Gift released a self-titled solo album, featuring the single "It's Only Money". In 2007, Gift was in a recording studio working on a follow-up album.
Roland is due to play again as a solo artist, so far gigs at the O2 Bubble (part of the British Music Experience)[4] and the Rewind Festival[5] in Scotland have been announced.
[edit] Acting
In 1987, Gift had his first screen role in the film Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. In 1990 he did his first stage work, playing Romeo in the Hull Truck Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, a production which had a brief run in the United States at the Staller Center for the Arts.[6] He also appeared as a lounge singer (singing songs that were included in the Fine Young Cannibals album The Raw and the Cooked) in the film Tin Men, directed by Barry Levinson.
In 1989, he appeared in Scandal as Johnny Edgecombe, Christine Keeler's boyfriend.
In 1993, he began the first of several appearances as the evil Immortal Xavier St. Cloud in the television series Highlander: The Series, and appeared in an episode of the Yorkshire Television series Heartbeat. He has also appeared in the movie The Island of the Mapmaker's Wife.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Information | UK Album Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Roland Gift
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[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | UK Singles Chart | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "It's Only Money" |
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| 2009 | "Crushed" *(as Roland Lee Gift) |
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[edit] References
- ^ Allmusic.com - accessed May 2010
- ^ "(obituary) Tony Kostrzewa: Founder of Red Rhino Records". The Independent. 9 May, 2008. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tony-kostrzewa-founder-of-red-rhino-records-824290.html.
- ^ http://therebelmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/01/q-with-roland-gift.html
- ^ http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3500482ABECA72F8
- ^ http://gettothefront.co.uk/2012/01/2012-rewind-scotland-acts-announced/
- ^ New York Times review of Gift in Romeo & Juliet
