Suggs (singer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Graham McPherson (b. January 13, 1961 in Hastings), better known as Suggs, is an English singer. He is the vocalist of the popular second wave ska band, Madness. Suggs is married to singer Bette Bright who was the vocalist with the 70's British band Deaf School.
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[edit] Madness
[edit] After Madness
Upon leaving Madness in 1986, he formed the group The Madness releasing a self-titled album in 1988 reaching no. 66 in both the UK and US charts. He worked with Morrissey and sang backing vocals on the track "Picadilly Palare" in 1990.
[edit] 90's Solo Successs
As a solo artist he released two albums The Lone Ranger and The Three Pyramids Club. His most successful song was a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel song "Cecilia" which was produced by Sly and Robbie and went to no. 4 in UK charts, selling over 500,000 copies. He also had a top-ten hit with his cover of the Beatles "I'm Only Sleeping", reaching no. 7 in the UK charts. Other single releases from his first album include "Camden Town" and "No More Alcohol". From his second album he released the single "I am" which featured on the film soundtrack for The Avengers.
[edit] Acting and Radio
As an actor, Suggs has appeared in films such as The Tall Guy (1989) and Don't Go Breaking My Heart (1998). He also starred in Channel 4 dramas The Press Gang (1990) and The Final Frame (1990) in which he ironically played a pop star named 'East'.
He also played the part of Joe's dad in the stage musical Our House, featuring the songs of Madness, for a limited period in London's West End in 2003.
He was a principal and original DJ on the BBC radio station BBC 6 Music when it launched in March 2002. [1]
He also worked with the late Bob Monkhouse on the BBC Radio 4 sitcom I think I've got a Problem which also starred comedian Phil Cornwell.
He is now a DJ on Virgin Radio with a show called "Virgin Party Classics" and was nominated for a Sony Award in 2005. In 2006 Virgin launched the Party Classics radio channel, available via digital television, which is hosted by Suggs. Suggs regularly features on Virgin Radio competitions where listeners can win the chance to meet him and have a drink with him.
[edit] Television
He has most famously presented a celebrity karaoke game show on the UK TV channel Five called Night Fever which was one of the channel's highest rating programmes.
He also was a team captain in the BBC music trivia game show A Question of Pop opposite Noddy Holder presented by Jamie Theakston and is a frequent guest on BBC2 show Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
Most recently he has presented a series of hour-long programmes called Salvage Squad in which a group of engineers undertook the restoration of rare old machinery. Some of the items restored include a steam roller, a ploughing engine called "Margaret", a Blackpool "Coronation" tram, a Scammell 'Mechanical Horse', a Revopak dustcart, various boats, WWII tanks, early C20 motor launches, railway locomotives, vintage cars, and the like.
In 2005 he filmed a series called Disappearing London on ITV in the London area, in which he investigates architectural and other curiosities which are disappearing from the London scene. In 2005 he filmed a similar one-off programme for the BBC entitled A Picture Of London by Suggs which featured the newly penned song "Cracks In the Pavement".
Suggs has been a guest presenter on the BBC's long-running chart show Top Of The Pops twice, once in 1995 and then in 2005.
As of October 2006 Suggs became the main presenter of the BBC London series Inside Out, a weekly programme for Londoners looking at surprising stories in the capital.
[edit] Musical Collaborations
Suggs managed '90s band The Farm as well as producing most of their first album Spartacus which reached no. 1 in the UK charts and spawned the internationt hit 'All Together Now'. As a songwriter, he has been influenced by Ian Dury as well as Ray Davies.
Suggs is a supporter of Chelsea F.C. and in 1997 he recorded a song "Blue Day" with Chelsea players. It was the official song of the team for the FA Cup which Chelsea eventually won. The song reached no. 22 in the UK charts.
He has collaborated with Jools Holland twice on his Small World Big Band and Friends albums — first in 2001 with the song "Oranges and Lemons Again" and again on 2003's "Jack O the Green". He also performed with Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra in 2003 for a television special where he performed the songs "Madness", and "Enjoy Yourself" with veteran ska singer Prince Buster, who is one of Madness' great influences.
In July 2005, shortly after the terrorist attacks in London, Suggs and Chas Smash performed the Bob Marley song "So Much Trouble in the World" with Billy Bragg at a concert in London's Brockwell Park in aid of the victims. Both Suggs and Smash appeared in the video for the Bob Marley song "One Love".
Also in 2005, Suggs collaborated with electronic group Audio Bullys on the track "This Road" from their Top 40 album Generation.
In 2006, Suggs performed the Madness classic "My Girl" with The Ordinary Boys at the Brixton Academy which was released as a B-side on their UK no. 6 hit single "Nine2five".
As of 2006, Suggs is currently touring Europe and Japan with Madness and is set to return to the UK with Madness to tour in December.
[edit] Solo discography
[edit] Albums
- The Lone Ranger UK #14 (1995)
- The Three Pyramids Club (1998)
[edit] Singles
- "I'm Only Sleeping"/"Off On Holiday" UK #7 (Aug 1995)
- "Camden Town" UK #14 (Oct 1995)
- "The Tune" UK #33 (Dec 1995)
- "Cecilia" UK #4 (Apr 1996)
- "No More Alcohol" UK #24 (Sep 1996)
- "Blue Day" UK #22 (May 1997)
- "I Am" UK #38 (Sep 1998)
[edit] Trivia
- Suggs is a patron of the charity Children In Need and has frequently appeared on the annual television fundraiser over the years, performing various Madness tracks with other celebrities.
- He was part of Dec's Boy Band on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway in October 2006 and performed "It Only Takes a Minute" by Take That
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Madness official website
- The Madness Information Service Online
- VirginRadio.co.uk - Suggs' Party Classics
- Suggs' profile at VirginRadio.co.uk
- Salvage Squad
- Suggs lyrics
- Inside Out London
| Madness |
| Suggs | Mike Barson | Lee Thompson | Chris Foreman | Mark Bedford | Daniel Woodgate | Chas Smash |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: One Step Beyond... | Absolutely | 7 | The Rise & Fall | Keep Moving | Mad Not Mad | The Madness | Wonderful | The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 Live and compilation albums: Complete Madness | Madness | Utter Madness | It's... Madness | It's... Madness Too | Divine Madness | Madstock! | The Business | Total Madness | Universal Madness |
