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Martin Fry

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Martin Fry

Martin Fry (born 9 March, 1958, in Manchester) is lead singer of the band ABC.

ABC

Main article: ABC (band)

Martin Fry first met up with future bandmates Mark White and Stephen Singleton while interviewing them for a fanzine that he edited called Modern Drugs. White and Singleton, then fronting a rock band called Vice Versa, invited Fry to join their band. The group changed its name to ABC and changed its sound to a polished type of pop music that at that time led them to be categorized as New Romantics, along with bands like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and The Human League.

Between 1982 and 1992, ABC recorded six studio albums (The Lexicon of Love, Beauty Stab, How to Be a...Zillionaire!, Alphabet City, Up and Abracadabra) and released a greatest hits compilation, Absolutely. During this time, the band went through numerous personnel changes, with Martin Fry and Mark White being the only permanent members. Following the Zillionaire album, ABC temporarily disappeared from the limelight while Fry was treated for Hodgkin's disease.

ABC split up in 1992, with White leaving the music business to pursue an interest in Reiki therapy. Martin Fry continued to work with EMI in the months thereafter but was axed from the label before his solo material was released.

Fry resurrected the ABC name in 1997 for the album Skyscraping, an homage to several of his musical heroes, including David Bowie, Roxy Music and The Sex Pistols. The album was a collaboration with Glenn Gregory and Keith Lowndes of Heaven 17.

Although ABC hasn’t released a new album since 1997, the band has toured extensively and performed live on various other occasions, such as the 2001 Night of the Proms, where Fry was supported by a 72-piece orchestra and 50-piece choir.

Martin Fry has finished work on a new ABC album called Traffic, which is scheduled for release in mid-2007.

Martin has a collection of automobiles. He is particularly proud of his Jowett Javelin and Jupiter.

Other work

Fry (left) and Tony Hadley (right) performing in 2005
  • In 1989, Fry recorded a song called Mythical Girl with Arthur Baker for Baker’s album Merge, a project that included songs with various artists, including Love is the message featuring Al Green.
  • Together with Mark White, Fry co-wrote and produced a couple of songs of Paul Rutherford’s 1989 album Oh world.
  • In 1997, Fry contributed to David Arnold's Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project, an album made up of re-recordings of James Bond movie themes featuring vocals by contemporary artists. The song Fry performed was the theme of Thunderball
  • Fry performed on one track of the 2001 'Re-members only' album by Sylk 130, the musical collective masterminded by DJ King Britt.
  • In 2005, Fry embarked on an extensive UK tour with Tony Hadley, former lead singer of popular 1980s New Romantic group Spandau Ballet. Highlights of the tour were released on CD and DVD compilations, both titled "Tony Hadley vs Martin Fry." The DVD is available in Europe, but has yet to be released in NTSC format.
  • Fry, Tony Hadley and Richard Drummie of Go West fame, together with manager John Glover, went on a trek to The Lost World in Venezuela in February 2006. The trek was a fundraiser for Action Medical Research who have funded the research into the polio vaccine, hip replacement surgery, Ultrasound scanning, the use of folic acid during pregnancy and other research. The 2006 campaign 'Touching Tiny Lives' aimed to further research into ways of preventing premature birth and the problems suffered by babies that are born prematurely. Fry, Hadley, Drummie and Glover aim to raise GBP 100,000 in sponsorship with this charity.
  • Fry appeared in the BBC Television program Just the Two of Us in February 2006. This was a reality TV competition in the style of Strictly Come Dancing, but this time with contestants (one celebrity being a famous singer, the other celeb being a novice) judged upon their singing skills as part of a duet. He was teamed with TV presenter Gaby Roslin and they were eliminated in the first show after battling the team of Nicky Campbell and Beverley Knight.
  • Fry was featured extensively in the 2006 VH1 mini-series 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's. When asked, Fry revealed that he hoped ABC's 1982 single "The Look of Love" would land a coveted slot in the Top 10. Despite his plea, the song was ranked #43.
  • Fry worked on several songs for the 2007 movie Music and Lyrics starring Hugh Grant. Fry also served as Grant's vocal coach for the movie. [1]
  • Fry has a track called New Man on the Sonic Hub Eye of the Storm debut album. The song features a section of Cars by Gary Numan.
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