Jimmy Somerville | |
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 Somerville performing atLet's Rock 2015 | |
| Born | James William Somerville (1961-06-22)22 June 1961 (age 63) Glasgow, Scotland |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Works | |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
Musical artist | |
| Website | jimmysomerville |
James William Somerville (born 22 June 1961)[1] is a Scottish singer who rose to prominence in the 1980s with thesynth-pop groupsBronski Beat andthe Communards. With Bronski Beat, Somerville achieved commercial success with the 1984 single "Smalltown Boy" which reached the top spot in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and the USHot Dance Club Play. Additionally, it reached the top five in the United Kingdom, West Germany, Ireland and New Zealand as well as charting within the USBillboard Hot 100.[2][3][4][5][6] Bronski Beat's debut albumThe Age of Consent (1984) was the only release Somerville contributed to as lead vocalist before leaving the band in 1985 and joining The Communards.
The Communards, with Somerville on lead vocals, released their debut albumCommunards in 1986, spawning the internationally successful single "Don't Leave Me This Way". It reached the top spot in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the USDance Club Songs. "Don't Leave Me This Way" was thebest selling single of 1986 in the United Kingdom.[7] Follow up single, "So Cold the Night", also achieved commercial success across Europe.[8][9] Their second studio albumRed was released in 1987 and continued their chart success. The Communards disbanded in 1988.
Following the disbandment of The Communards, Somerville launched his solo career.[10] He is known in particular for his powerful and soulfulcountertenor/falsetto singing voice. Many of his songs, such as "Smalltown Boy", contain political commentary on gay-related issues.[11]
Born on 22 June 1961, James William Somerville grew up inRuchill, a neighbourhood of northernGlasgow.[12] In 1980, he moved to London, where he lived insquats.[13] He immersed himself ingay culture, and attended theLondon Gay Teenage Group.[14]
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In 1983, Somerville co-founded thesynth-pop groupBronski Beat,[1][15] which had several hits in the British charts. Their biggest hit was "Smalltown Boy", which peaked at number three on theUK Singles Chart.[1] In the music video Somerville plays the song's titular character, who leaves his hostile hometown for the friendlier city, reflecting Somerville's own experiences when he moved to London.[14]
Bronski Beat signed arecording contract withLondon Records in 1984 after doing only nine livegigs. The band's debut single, "Smalltown Boy", about a gay teenager leaving his family and fleeing his home town, was a hit, peaking at No 3 in theUK Singles Chart, and topping charts in Belgium and the Netherlands.[2][16][17][18] The single was accompanied by a promotionalvideo directed byBernard Rose, showing Somerville trying to befriend an attractive diver at a swimming pool, then being attacked by the diver's homophobic associates, being returned to his family by the police and having to leave home. (The police officer was played by Colin Bell, then the marketing manager ofLondon Records.) "Smalltown Boy" reached 48 in the U.S.chart and peaked at 8 in Australia.[6]
The follow-up single, "Why?", adopted ahi-NRG sound and was more lyrically focused on anti-gayprejudice. It also achievedTop 10 status in the UK, reaching 6,[2] and was another Top 10 hit for the band in Australia, Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands. At the end of 1984, the trio released an album titledThe Age of Consent. The inner sleeve listed the varyingages of consent for consensual gay sex in different nations around the world. At the time, the age of consent for sexual acts between men in the UK was 21 compared with 16 for heterosexual acts, with several other countries having more liberal laws on gay sex. The album peaked at 4 in theUK Albums Chart,[2] 36 in the U.S., and 12 in Australia.
Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985 and formedThe Communards with classically-trained pianistRichard Coles, who became aChurch of England vicar and broadcaster.[19] They had several hits, including a cover version ofHarold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Don't Leave Me This Way",[1] which spent four weeks at No. 1 in the UK charts and became the biggest-selling single of 1986 in the UK. He also sang backing vocals onFine Young Cannibals' version of "Suspicious Minds", which was a UK Top 10 hit.
The Communards split in 1988; Somerville began a solo career the following year. He released his debut solo albumRead My Lips in November 1989,[1] which contained three UK Top 30 hits, including a hit cover ofSylvester's disco song "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and a cover of "Comment te dire adieu?", a duet withJune Miles-Kingston, which reached number 14 in theUK Singles chart. He also sang on the secondBand Aid project at the end of 1989.
In November 1990, Somerville's greatest-hits albumThe Singles Collection 1984/1990 (which featured his hits with Bronski Beat and The Communards in addition to his own material) was released; it reached number 4 on the UK Album Chart. It included a reggae cover of theBee Gees' hit song "To Love Somebody", which also reached the UK Top 10. Also in 1990, Somerville contributed the song "From This Moment On" to theCole Porter tribute albumRed Hot + Blue produced by theRed Hot Organization, the proceeds from which benefited AIDS research.
"I don't think it's fair to tell your audience that you're gay, but that you're not going to acknowledge it in your primary form of creative expression. It's an unfortunate manipulation of honesty that collects gay dollars without an even exchange. But my intention is not to help people live in oblivion. It is to be honest. And that is far more important than gold-selling records"
In 1991, Somerville provided backing vocals to a track called "Why Aren't You in Love With Me?" from the albumRipe by Communards offshoot bandBanderas. The Banderas duo, Caroline Buckley and Sally Herbert, had previously been part of Somerville's backing band. After this, he disappeared from the limelight for several years. He returned in 1995 with the albumDare to Love, which included "Heartbeat" (a UK Top 30 hit and a No. 1 hit on theUS dance chart), "Hurt So Good" and "By Your Side", though commercial success was now beginning to elude him and his contract with London Records to which he had been signed for over a decade came to an end.
A new single, "Dark Sky", was released in 1997 and peaked at No. 66 in the UK. In the same year he provided vocals on "The Number One Song in Heaven" for theSparks albumPlagiarism with production byTony Visconti. His third album, entitledManage The Damage, was released in 1999 viaGut Records, but failed to chart. A companion remix album,Root Beer, came out in 2000. His dance-orientated fourth solo album,Home Again, was released in 2004, again not charting.
In May 2009, Somerville release theSuddenly Last Summer album, which contained acoustic interpretations of other people's songs. The album was initially only available as a digital download but in May 2010 was made available in a limited edition (3,000 copies) CD/DVD in the UK. In late 2010, Somerville released a dance EP calledBright Thing. 2010's EPBright Thing was the first of a series of three, with Somerville releasingMomentum in 2011 andSolent in 2012, with long-term collaborator John Winfield.
Somerville released a disco-inspired album calledHomage in 2015.[13][21] Singles were "Back to Me" followed by "Travesty". The emphasis in recording the album was on achieving the musical authenticity of original disco which Somerville grew up listening to. He stated: "I've finally made the disco album I always wanted to and never thought I could."[22]
He has also had an acting career, appearing inSally Potter's 1992 film ofVirginia Woolf'sOrlando, inIsaac Julien's 1989Looking for Langston, and in an episode of the cult science fiction television seriesLexx ("Girltown").[23][unreliable source]
In February 2021, Somerville teamed up with producer Sally Herbert (formerly of 1990s duoBanderas and also part ofThe Communards' backing band) to record a cover of "Everything Must Change" byBenard Ighner as a charity record for End Youth Homelessness, a network of projects which includesCentrepoint in London and a number of other homeless charity organisations around the UK.[24][25]
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| Award | Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFI –Grierson Awards | 1984 | Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts | Best Documentary | Won | [A] |
| Brit Awards | 1985 | Bronski Beat | Best British Group | Nominated | [B] |
| "Smalltown Boy" | Best British Single | Nominated | |||
| 1987 | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | Nominated | [C] | ||
| 1991 | Himself | Best British Male Artist | Nominated | [29] | |
| R.SH Gold Awards | "To Love Somebody"[30] | Power Groove of the Year | Won | [D] | |
| Scottish Music Awards | 2014 | Himself | Special Recognition Award | Honored | [E] |
| The listed years are of the annual ceremonies, usually recognizing achievements for the previous calendar year. | |||||
| Online polls | |||||
| Queerty Awards | 2014 | "Travesty" | Earworm of the Year | Nominated | [34] |
Grierson Award(see 'WINNER' and the listed names)
Best British Group" and "Best British Single(only winners published)
Best British Group(only winner published)
Best Male Artist(see section 'BRITS 1991 NOMINATIONS', p. 5)
RSH-Gold, 1991: Kategorie „Kraftrille des Jahres" – Lied: To Love Somebody(see section 'Auszeichnungen')
The former Bronski Beat star made a homecoming visit to Glasgow to pick up a Tartan Clef at the Scottish Music Awards [...] The singer was given a People Make Glasgow special recognition award
The 16th annual Scottish Music Awards took place on Saturday [...] The ceremony was held at Glasgow's Old Fruitmarket, as the Tartan Clefs were handed out to some of Scotland's most celebrated acts. The Special Recognition Award was given to Bronski Beat's Jimmy Somerville for his contribution to Scottish music.(see paragraphs 1 – 3)
Earworm of the Year(see the listed nominees)
