 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Bernard Sumner" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Bernard Sumner | |
|---|---|
 Sumner performing withNew Order in September 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | (1956-01-04)4 January 1956 (age 69) Manchester, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | New Order |
| Formerly of | |
Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956) is an English musician. He is a founding member of the bandsJoy Division,New Order,Electronic, andBad Lieutenant. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including thepost-punk,synth-pop, andtechno music scenes, as well as their various related genres, and was an early influence on theManchester music scene that presaged theMadchester movement of the late 1980s centred onFactory Records andThe Haçienda club in Manchester. He and drummerStephen Morris are the only two continuous members of New Order, who have also appeared on all the band's albums.
He began his career playing guitar and keyboards for Joy Division. Following lead singerIan Curtis's death, the remaining members of Joy Division formed New Order with Sumner taking on lead vocal duties. His complex electronic compositions became less guitar-driven and more focused on electronic keyboards,synthesizers, andprogramming throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He formed Electronic withJohnny Marr in the late 1980s as a creative outlet outside of New Order, which continued after New Order went on hiatus in 1993. New Order became active again from 1998 through 2006, after which he returned to a more traditional rock context with the band Bad Lieutenant. He continues to record and perform with the latest iteration of New Order, which reformed in 2011.
Bernard Sumner was born on 4 January 1956 inCrumpsall Hospital (now North Manchester General Hospital) inManchester, England. He has also used the surnames Dicken (similar to his stepfather's name Dickin) and Albrecht.[1][2]
Sumner was educated atSalford Grammar School, before joining a company who didcartoon animations for television.[3]
Through his long career, Sumner has played music in many overlapping genres, includingrock,[4]synth-pop[5]electronica,[6]post-punk, andnew wave.
Sumner was a founding member ofJoy Division, formed atSalford in 1976. He and childhood friendPeter Hook both attended the fabledSex Pistols concert at Manchester'sFree Trade Hall on 4 June 1976 and whose music inspired them to perform together.[7] Widely considered one of the most influentialbands of the era, Sumner was lead guitarist (his main guitars were aGibson SG and a customShergold Masquerader),[8][9] as well as playingelectronic keyboards[10] and made his first vocal appearance on record singing the chorus of "Walked in Line" on theWarsaw album.[11] In May 1980, after the suicide of its lead singer,Ian Curtis, Joy Division disbanded.[12]
Sumner and remaining band membersPeter Hook andStephen Morris started a new band namedNew Order, joined by keyboardistGillian Gilbert in October 1980.[13] Though Hook, Morris, and Gilbert also contributed vocals on some early tracks, Sumner emerged as the band's permanent singer and lyricist, alongside playing guitar and keyboards.[citation needed]
Through a series of splits and reformations, the band has released ten studio albums.[when?] Sumner and Morris are the only members to be part of every lineup.[citation needed]
In 1989, Sumner joined up with formerSmiths guitaristJohnny Marr to formElectronic. ThePet Shop Boys'Neil Tennant collaborated on two tracks on their debuteponymous album, providing vocals.[citation needed] Sumner was their singer, guitarist, keyboardist and lyricist. Electronic released two other albums until a quiet disband in 2001 for Sumner to focus his efforts on New Order.[citation needed] Sumner occasionally appears to sing Electronic songs at Marr's concerts.[citation needed]
Bad Lieutenant included fellow New Order memberPhil Cunningham and Jake Evans of Rambo & Leroy. Stephen Morris of New Order andBlur bassistAlex James also performed on the band's debut album. Sumner provided vocals, guitar and lyrics. Bad Lieutenant disbanded after New Order reformed in 2011.[citation needed]
In 1981,Pauline Murray andThe Invisible Girls released their last single "Searching for Heaven", which included a guitar solo by Sumner, although he was not credited in the sleeves of its 7" and 10" edition at the time.[14][15] In 1983, Sumner co-produced, with Donald Johnson, the single "The Great Divide"/"Love in a Strange Place" by the band Foreign Press. Foreign Press (aka Emergency) had had a long history with Sumner through both Joy Division and New Order.[citation needed]
In 1990, he worked with formerFactory Records label matesA Certain Ratio, remixing their song "Won't Stop Loving You". He has also recorded tracks with fellow Mancunians808 State andSub Sub.[citation needed] Sumner appeared as guest singer and guitarist (alongsidePrimal Scream'sBobby Gillespie) onThe Chemical Brothers' 1999 albumSurrender, on the track "Out of Control"; and in a 2005 Chemical Brothers show at theBrixton Academy, Sumner appeared live onstage as a special guest on this track.[citation needed] He has also lent vocals and guitar to a track ("Miracle Cure") on German trance outfitBlank & Jones 2008 release, "The Logic of Pleasure",[citation needed] and appeared on the Primal Scream track "Shoot Speed Kill Light" from their 2000 albumXTRMNTR.[citation needed]
He has produced severalremixes for tracks such asTechnotronic's "Rockin' Over the Beat" (which was featured in theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III soundtrack).[16] He served as a record producer and/or songwriter for otherFactory Records acts, includingHappy Mondays,Shark Vegas,Abecedarians,52nd Street[citation needed] andSection 25.
Sumner married Sue Barlow on 28 October 1978 but they later divorced.[3]
Sumner was portrayed byJohn Simm in the 2002 film24 Hour Party People andJames Anthony Pearson in the 2007 filmControl.[citation needed]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |