Jimmy Somerville

James William Somerville born 22 June 1961 is a singer from Glasgow Scotland who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the synthpop groups Bronski Beat and the Communards With Bronski Beat Somerville achieved commercial success with the 1984 single Smalltown Boy which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart topped the charts in Belgium Italy the Netherlands and the Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States Additionally the single peaked within the top ten of the charts in Canada Ireland New Zealand and West Germany and also charted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States Bronski Beats debut album The Age of Consent 1984 was the only release Somerville contributed to as lead vocalist before leaving the band in 1985 and joining The Communards Following the deaths of Larry Steinbachek in 2016 and Steve Bronski in 2021 Somerville is the only surviving founding member of Bronski Beat The Communards with Somerville on lead vocals released their debut album Communards in 1986 spawning the internationally successful single Dont Leave Me This Way It reached the top spot in the United Kingdom Belgium Ireland the Netherlands and the US Dance Club Songs Dont Leave Me This Way was the best selling single of 1986 in the United Kingdom Follow up single So Cold the Night also achieved commercial success across Europe Their second studio album Red 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 He is known in particular for his powerful and soulful countertenorfalsetto singing voice Born on 22 June 1961 James William Somerville grew up in Ruchill a neighbourhood of northern Glasgow In 1980 he moved to London where he lived in squats He immersed himself in gay culture and attended the London Gay Teenage Group In 1983 Somerville cofounded the synthpop group Bronski Beat which had several hits in the British charts Their biggest hit was Smalltown Boy which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart In the music video Somerville plays the songs titular character who leaves his hostile hometown for the friendlier city reflecting Somervilles own experiences when he moved to London Bronski Beat signed a recording contract with London Records in 1984 after doing only nine live gigs The bands debut single Smalltown Boy about a gay teenager leaving his family and fleeing his home town was a hit peaking at No 3 in the UK Singles Chart and topping charts in Belgium and the Netherlands The single was accompanied by a promotional video directed by Bernard Rose showing Somerville trying to befriend an attractive diver at a swimming pool then being attacked by the divers 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 of London Records Smalltown Boy reached 48 in the US chart and peaked at 8 in Australia Source Article Jimmy Somerville from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA