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[[File:Jimmy Somerville in Warsaw.jpg|thumb|Jimmy Somerville, 2006]]'''Jimmy Somerville''' (born 22 June 1961) is a pop singer. | [[File:Jimmy Somerville in Warsaw.jpg|thumb|Jimmy Somerville, 2006]]'''Jimmy Somerville''' (born 22 June 1961) is a pop singer. | ||
'''Jimmy Somerville''' (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish singer and songwriter, known for his distinctive high falsetto voice and as one of the most prominent openly gay pop performers of the 1980s. He came to fame as the lead singer of [[Bronski Beat]] and then [[The Communards]], before a long solo career, and both his music and his public life have been closely bound up with gay rights and, later, AIDS activism. | |||
== Early life and activism == | |||
Somerville was born in the Ruchill district of Glasgow and moved to London in 1980, where he became involved in the city's gay scene and the [[London Gay Teenage Group]]. In 1983 he appeared in the [[Lesbian and Gay Youth Video Project]] film ''Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts'', which won a Grierson Award.<ref name="wp"/> | |||
== Bronski Beat == | |||
In 1983 Somerville co-founded the synth-pop trio [[Bronski Beat]] with Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek, all three of them openly gay. Their 1984 debut single "Smalltown Boy" – the story of a young gay man leaving a hostile hometown, mirroring Somerville's own experience – reached number three in the UK and became an enduring anthem of gay liberation. It was followed by "Why?", and by the album ''The Age of Consent'' (1984), whose title and sleeve drew attention to the unequal ages of consent then applied to gay men in Britain and elsewhere.<ref name="wp"/><ref name="bb"/> In December 1984 Somerville had Bronski Beat headline the "Pits and Perverts" benefit concert in aid of [[Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners]].<ref name="lgsm"/> | |||
== The Communards == | |||
Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985 and formed [[The Communards]] with [[Rev Richard Coles|Richard Coles]]. Their Hi-NRG version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" spent four weeks at number one and was the biggest-selling UK single of 1986. The duo split in 1988.<ref name="wp"/> | |||
== | == Solo career == | ||
From 1989 Somerville pursued a solo career, with hits including "Comment te dire adieu", "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" – a cover of the Sylvester disco classic – and "Read My Lips". His debut solo album ''Read My Lips'' appeared in 1989, followed by further albums including ''Dare to Love'' (1995) and ''Homage'' (2015). Throughout, his work has continued to foreground gay identity and experience.<ref name="wp"/> | |||
== See also == | |||
* [[Bronski Beat]] | |||
* [[The Communards]] | |||
* [[Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners]] | |||
== References == | |||
<references> | <references> | ||
<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Somerville Jimmy Somerville], Wikipedia.</ref> | |||
<ref name="bb">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronski_Beat Bronski Beat], Wikipedia.</ref> | |||
<ref name="lgsm">[https://www.songsthatsavedyou.com/p/smalltown-boy-bronski-beat "Smalltown Boy" – Bronski Beat], Songs That Saved Your Life.</ref> | |||
</references> | |||
[[Category:1961 births]] | [[Category:1961 births]] | ||
[[Category:Living people]] | [[Category:Living people]] | ||
[[Category:Music]] | |||
Latest revision as of 13:58, 17 July 2026
Jimmy Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a pop singer.
Jimmy Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish singer and songwriter, known for his distinctive high falsetto voice and as one of the most prominent openly gay pop performers of the 1980s. He came to fame as the lead singer of Bronski Beat and then The Communards, before a long solo career, and both his music and his public life have been closely bound up with gay rights and, later, AIDS activism.
Early life and activism
Somerville was born in the Ruchill district of Glasgow and moved to London in 1980, where he became involved in the city's gay scene and the London Gay Teenage Group. In 1983 he appeared in the Lesbian and Gay Youth Video Project film Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts, which won a Grierson Award.[1]
Bronski Beat
In 1983 Somerville co-founded the synth-pop trio Bronski Beat with Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek, all three of them openly gay. Their 1984 debut single "Smalltown Boy" – the story of a young gay man leaving a hostile hometown, mirroring Somerville's own experience – reached number three in the UK and became an enduring anthem of gay liberation. It was followed by "Why?", and by the album The Age of Consent (1984), whose title and sleeve drew attention to the unequal ages of consent then applied to gay men in Britain and elsewhere.[1][2] In December 1984 Somerville had Bronski Beat headline the "Pits and Perverts" benefit concert in aid of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners.[3]
The Communards
Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985 and formed The Communards with Richard Coles. Their Hi-NRG version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" spent four weeks at number one and was the biggest-selling UK single of 1986. The duo split in 1988.[1]
Solo career
From 1989 Somerville pursued a solo career, with hits including "Comment te dire adieu", "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" – a cover of the Sylvester disco classic – and "Read My Lips". His debut solo album Read My Lips appeared in 1989, followed by further albums including Dare to Love (1995) and Homage (2015). Throughout, his work has continued to foreground gay identity and experience.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jimmy Somerville, Wikipedia.
- ↑ Bronski Beat, Wikipedia.
- ↑ "Smalltown Boy" – Bronski Beat, Songs That Saved Your Life.