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Fran Healy (musician)

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Fran Healy
Healy in concert with Travis, 2014
Healy in concert with Travis, 2014
Background information
Birth nameFrancis Healy
Born (1973-07-23) 23 July 1973 (age 51)
Stafford, England, United Kingdom
OriginGlasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
GenresRock
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, banjo, drums, sitar
Years active1995–present
Websitefranhealy.com

Francis "Fran" Healy (born 23 July 1973) is a Scottish musician. He is the lead singer and main songwriter of the band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their first six studio albums, with the 7th (and soon to come 8th) being more of a co-written work. He is based in Berlin. Healy released his debut solo album titled Wreckorder in October 2010, which featured Paul McCartney on bass.

Early life

Although born in Stafford, England, Healy grew up in Glasgow, Scotland – his parents' hometown. His mother had moved back to Scotland after divorcing her husband. Healy has said that both his mother and his grandmother were major influences on him as a child. Healy attended Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow.

Although as a young child at primary school, he had been awarded a book of Rabbie Burns poems and a certificate "For Outstanding Singing Abilities" after singing the old Scottish song "Westering Home" while dressed in a kilt, Healy showed no further interest in singing until his teens. His obsession in song writing began to take shape when he got his first guitar in 1986 at the age of 13, having seen Roy Orbison perform his hit Pretty Woman on The Last Resort With Jonathan Ross. First songs played on the guitar were old rock'n'roll numbers like Johnny B. Good and 3 Steps To Heaven by Eddie Cochran. His first complete song was written about the Headmaster of his school, Peter Mullen entitled "Mr. Mullen Blues" Sample lyric: "...and there was Pete Mullen, with his pie and beans. It was then I smelled it, it filled the room. Then some wee bugger lit a match and the whole place went Ka-BOOM...Where's your tie boy, Pick up that can. Get in line girl, do you understand...Cause his name is big Pete Mullen...And he's a man" He performed it at the school talent show but failed to move judges. He played in a couple of school bands until drummer of Glasgow band Glass Onion Neil Primrose asked if he would like to audition. This band would become Travis, named after the main character in Wim Wenders movie Paris, Texas.

Travis' first single, "All I Want to Do Is Rock", was written by Healy while on a visit to Millport on Great Cumbrae, a small island in the Firth of Clyde. Going there with the sole intention of composing the best song he had ever written, Healy surprised even himself when the track was born. In spite of Healy's success as a songwriter since, he is without formal musical training. As the band has risen to prominence, Healy has continued to be Travis' main songwriter, as well as the band's main spokesman and most recognisable member.

He also appeared on the BBC's last night of the proms celebrations in Scotland on 10 September 2011 in the Caird Hall in Dundee.

Music career

Healy Performing With Travis.

Healy's songwriting has been praised by Paul McCartney, Elton John and Noel Gallagher. In 2005, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin called himself "a poor man's Fran Healy". In interviews, Healy has talked of being influenced by songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney and Graham Nash (of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young fame). Healy has since played with both McCartney and Nash. Although Healy predominantly plays guitar, he has also been known to write and perform with piano. Healy recently released a solo album titled Wreckorder which featured Paul McCartney on bass and Neko Case. He also co-wrote the song 'Here With Me' from The Killers 2012 studio album Battle Born.

Travis

Main article: Travis (band)

Healy's band, Travis, is an alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. Travis has twice been awarded British album of the year at the annual BRIT Awards, and is credited as having paved the way for British bands such as Coldplay and Keane. Travis have released seven studio albums, beginning with Good Feeling in 1997.

Activism

Healy is a part of the movement Make Poverty History and has, alongside his band, played at the Live 8 concerts in both London and Edinburgh. He has also participated in Band Aid 20's re-recording of Do They Know It's Christmas? – Healy and friend Nigel Godrich also playing roles in its organization.

He has so far made two trips to Sudan with the Save the Children Organization, for which he has just launched the biggest ever global campaign[1] to help the ten million children who die unnecessarily each year to survive.

Healy has also taken part in and been a speaker at several anti-war demonstrations against the Iraq War.[2][3]

Personal life

Since 1996, Healy has been in a relationship with German photographer and former make-up artist Nora Kryst. Their first child, a son named Clay Kryst, was born in March 2006. After living in London for twelve years, the family moved to Berlin in February 2008, but still own a flat in London. Healy also has an apartment in SoHo, New York City.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Healy made the haircut "hoxton fin" famous.[4]

In January 2008, it was announced that Healy would curate a new talent compilation for Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.[5]

Healy is a keen runner, having been a member of the Glasgow athletics club Bellahouston Harriers in his youth, and took part in the Berlin Relay Marathon in 2012.[6]

At the 2005 general election, Healy was reported to be a supporter of the Liberal Democrats.[7] In a 2013 interview, speaking of an earlier interview in which he appeared to criticise Alex Salmond, he said "I certainly came across as pro-Labour but the truth is I'm not pro-anyone."[8]

Equipment

Discography

Further information: Travis discography

Studio albums

Featured singles

References

  1. ^ "Fran Healy launches Save the Children’s biggest ever global campaign", Charities Aid Foundation, 2008-02-20. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  2. ^ "Entertainment | Music | Stars sing out against war". BBC News. 16 March 2003. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  3. ^ Alexis Petridis. "Sound of silence | | Guardian Unlimited Arts". Arts.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  4. ^ Travis – Melody Maker, 12 January 2000 Archived 2007-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ [1] Archived 2008-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Fran Healy: The Man Who Ran", Scottish Running Guide, Spring 2013, p.16
  7. ^ Matthews, Jenny (21 April 2005). "Who's backing whom at the election?". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  8. ^ Smith, Aidan (17 August 2013). "Inteview: Fran Healy on the new album from Travis". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
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