On this day in 1945, singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry was born in Washington, England.
With his band Roxy Music in the '70s, Ferry produced a distinctive mix of cinematic rock
and arty, romantic pop.
Ferry, whose father was a coal miner,
began singing with the rock group the Banshees.
Simultaneously, he studied art under pop-conceptualist Richard Hamilton at the
University of Newcastle. After a stint in the soul band the Gas Board with bassist Graham
Simpson, the two decided to form their own group, Roxy Music.
Roxy Music, heavily influenced by Hamilton's sense of style, was a major player in '70s
art-rock. Though always more popular in Britain than in the U.S., Roxy Music's sound
later could be heard in many American new-wave bands, such as the Cars.
Another important member of Roxy Music in their early days was Brian Eno, the
synthesizer wizard who later had an illustrious solo career as an electronic-music
artist/producer. Roxy's eponymous debut album went top 10 in England in 1972 and the
bandmembers' '50s-style costumes made them very popular among the glam-rock
community that was in vogue in Britain at the time. But despite opening for Jethro Tull
and others in the U.S., Roxy Music's early albums mostly were only moderate successes
in the States.
Country Life, a 1974 Roxy LP, was their first U.S. hit and was infamous for its
cover, which showed a glimpse of pubic hair through panties. The following year's
Siren, a more dance-oriented effort, produced the U.S. hit single "Love Is the
Drug." But after releasing a live album, Viva! (1976), Roxy Music disbanded in
1976.
Ferry, known for his dramatic singing, had already begun a solo career with 1973's
These Foolish Things. Ferry continued to record covers on the following year's
Another Time, Another Place. Later Ferry solo LPs, such as 1978's The Bride
Stripped Bare, included former Roxy members in supporting roles.
Roxy Music reunited in 1978 for Manifesto (1979), which increased their
popularity in America. The lush, highly polished Avalon (1982) -- which eventually
reached platinum status in the U.S. -- featured the top-10 U.K. hit "More Than This," but
the band soon broke up again.
Ferry's '80s solo work continued his move away from the early Roxy glam-rock style to
their later synth-pop. Bête Noire (1987), featuring former Smiths guitarist
Johnny Marr on "The Right Stuff," yielded Ferry's only U.S. top-40 hit, "Kiss and Tell."
After a 1993 album of covers, Taxi, Ferry issued his most recent album,
Mamouna (1994).
Phil Manzanera, a Roxy Music guitarist, said of the band's music: "We had everything in
there from King Curtis to the Velvet Underground to systems music to '50s rock 'n' roll."
Other birthdays: George E. Chambers (Chambers Brothers), 67; Joe Bauer
(Youngbloods), 57; Craig Chaquico (Jefferson Starship), 44; Tracey Thorn (Everything
But the Girl), 36; Cindy Herron (En Vogue), 33; Shawn "Slim" Stockman (Boyz II Men),
25; and Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon), 1967-1995.
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