Andy Bell (singer)

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This article is about the lead singer of Erasure. For the member of Ride/Oasis/Beady Eye, see Andy Bell (musician).

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For other people named Andy Bell, see Andy Bell (disambiguation).
Andy Bell
File:Andy Bell (Erasure) 2.jpg
Andy Bell of Erasure performing at Delamere Forest, UK on 1 July 2011
Background information
Birth name Andrew Ivan Bell
Born (1964-04-25) 25 April 1964 (age 60)
Origin Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Genres Synthpop, dance, electronic
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, remixer, DJ
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1985–present
Labels Mute Records
Sanctuary Records
Associated acts Erasure
Website www.andybell.com

Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell (born 25 April 1964) is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. His solo career includes the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.

Early life

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Andrew Ivan Bell grew up in the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough. His family still resides in the city and surrounding areas such as Market Deeping. Bell was educated at the King's School in the city.

Career

In 1985, while selling women's shoes and performing in a band called the Void, he responded to a newspaper advert that was looking for a singer.[1] Vince Clarke had been Bell's "hero"; Bell was successful in his audition and together they formed the group Erasure. The pair sold over 25 million albums worldwide.

Bell has also donated time and made recordings for charities. These included Ferry Aid's cover of "Let It Be" (1987); a cover of Cole Porter's "Too Darn Hot", that was included in 1990s Red Hot + Blue album to raise funds for AIDS and HIV research; re-making Lene Lovich's "Rage" alongside her to be included in PETA's album (1991) in favour of a wildlife campaign; and performing twice on Big Spender's Red Hot and Dance events to support various AIDS projects (in both December 1994 and November 2004). Bell also performed on the True Colours Tour 2008.

Bell sang the role of Montresor in the opera The Fall of the House of Usher by Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, released in 1991 and reissued with a new recording in 1999.

Bell's first solo album was announced in July 2005. He signed a worldwide solo recording contract with Sanctuary Records, and announced details of his debut album, which was released on 3 October 2005 and entitled Electric Blue. The album featured fourteen tracks, including three duets, with Claudia Brücken of Propaganda and Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters.

The first single, "Crazy", released on 26 September 2005, included club remixes from his Erasure partner Vince Clarke, plus Cicada, MHC and King Roc. Electric Blue was co-written and recorded throughout 2004 and 2005 with Manhattan Clique (Philip Larsen and Chris Smith) who have worked with Erasure, Moby, the B-52s, Stereophonics and Goldfrapp.

Bell released his second solo album, Non-Stop, on 7 June 2010.[2] It was co-written and co-produced by Bell and Pascal Gabriel, who previously remixed "It Doesn't Have to Be" for Erasure. It also features a collaboration with Perry Farrell.

Using the pseudonym Mimó, Bell released two Pascal Gabriel-produced singles on Mute Records: "Running Out" (2009)[3] and "Will You Be There?" (2010)[4] prior to his second solo album.[5] The name, used as a "tribute to good friend Tomeau Mimó”, was not used on any subsequent solo releases, as a legal block was issued against Bell by another artist already using the Mimó name.[6] Both songs will appear on Non-Stop.[2] Both of these singles have since been re-branded as Andy Bell.

In June 2011, he appeared on the second season of ITV series Popstar to Operastar and finished in fifth place.

Personal life

Bell is openly gay, and had a longtime partner in Paul M. Hickey.[7] Bell told Melody Maker in 1986, "I don't want to go out of my way to talk about it but I'm not going to pretend I'm not [gay]. I won't portray a heterosexual in videos and we're consciously doing lyrics that could apply to either sex".[8] He told Barry Walters of Seventeen, "I want to be known as a good performer but it's important to me to take a stance. If you're doing music, you should use it for something and have substance. Being gay and open about it is my substance".[9]

On 17 December 2004, he publicly announced that he was HIV-positive since 1998.[10] In a 2007 interview, Bell remarked that a complacency exists among gay men about HIV, specifying that:

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There are definitely HIV-positive people who meet other HIV-positive men, and like still having unprotected sex. I think it must be quite hard for young gay men because there is so much for them now to do – there are so many saunas and stuff like that for them to go to, and it's so easy to get it."[11]

He suffers from avascular necrosis, unrelated to HIV, and had both hips replaced. Bell said this keeps him from "pogoing around" in more recent performances.[11]

Paul Hickey died on 11 April 2012 at the age of 62.[12]

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • 2005: "Crazy" No. 35 UK,[14] No. 3 US Hot Dance Club Play
  • 2006: "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" No. 96 UK
  • 2009: "Running Out" (as Mimó)
  • 2010: "Will You Be There?" (as Mimó) No. 27 US Hot Dance Club Play
  • 2010: "Call on Me"
  • 2010: "Non-Stop"
  • 2013: "Breathing love" cd part 1 and cd part 2 with Isaac Junkie
  • 2014: "Aftermath (Here We Go)" with Dave Aude: No.1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart [15]
  • 2014: "Beautiful" with Shelter
  • 2014: "I Don't Like"
  • 2014: "Friend" with Shelter
  • 2014: "Fountain of Youth"
  • 2015: "Weston-Super-Mare"
  • 2016: "True Original" with Dave Aude

Remixes

  • 2008: Yazoo – "Nobody's Diary (Andy Bell & Jc Remix)"

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ www.answers.com Erasure (accessed 27/07/2014)
  9. ↑ www.answers.com Erasure (accessed 1/29/2013)
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Chart Log UK – Weekly Updates Sales 2010
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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