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Jimmy Somerville

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Jimmy Somerville is a Scottish singer, born in 1961 and raised in Ruchill, a district in the north of Glasgow. In 1980 he moved to London, where he lived in squats and immersed himself in the city's gay culture. He attended the London Gay Teenage Group, a meeting place for young gay people.

Music and breakthrough

In 1983 Somerville founded the synth-pop group Bronski Beat. After only nine gigs the trio were given a record contract. The first single, Smalltown Boy (1984), is about a gay boy who is rejected by his family and flees his home town, a story that resembled Somerville's own. It became a big hit, in the Netherlands too. The album The Age of Consent (1984) showed on its inner sleeve how the legal age of consent for sex between men differed from country to country. In 1985 Somerville left and, with pianist Richard Coles, started The Communards. Their version of Don't Leave Me This Way became the best-selling single of 1986 in Britain. He then continued as a solo artist, with Read My Lips (1989) and covers such as Sylvester's You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).

Influence

Somerville stands out for his high, powerful falsetto, which floats above the electronic beats. He was one of the first pop stars to be openly gay and to sing about it. In doing so, in the 1980s, the time of AIDS and prejudice, he gave a voice to a group that was rarely heard in pop music.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Smalltown Boy (1984) by Bronski Beat. Notice the contrast between the cool, pulsing synthesizers and Somerville's high, vulnerable falsetto.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: Artists