Jimmy Somerville

Known for ActingBorn 1961-06-22 (age 65)Glasgow, Scotland, UK

James William Somerville (born 22 June 1961) is a singer from Glasgow, Scotland who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the synth-pop 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 Beat's 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 "Don't Leave Me This Way". It reached the top spot in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands and the US Dance Club Songs. "Don't 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 countertenor/falsetto 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 co-founded the synth-pop 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 song's titular character, who leaves his hostile hometown for the friendlier city, reflecting Somerville's 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 band's 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 diver's 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 U.S. chart and peaked at 8 in Australia. ... Source: Article "Jimmy Somerville" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.Read more

Movies & web series

Days Like These

The BRIT Awards

Jimmy Somerville: The Video Collection 1984/1990 (Featuring Bronski Beat and The Communards)

Stars 80, le concert au Stade de France

Lexx

Orlando

Champs-Elysées

The Nomi Song

Eurotrash

Stars 90

Hideous

Star Academy

Sacrée soirée

Morgenmagazin

Jimmy Somerville: Queer Rebel of British Pop

Looking for Langston

The Attendant

How Gay Sex Changed the World

Ambitions

Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts

This Road Will Never End

All Out! Dancing in Dulais

ZDF-Fernsehgarten

Bronski Beat - The Age Of Consent (40th year anniversary edition)

Countertenors

The Happy Prince

Musik für Sie

Rhythm Divine: The Story of Disco

Memorabilia: The Video Singles

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter

Le monde est à vous

The Communards - Live at Full House Rock Show