Biography for
Mick Hucknall More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

8 June 1960, Manchester, England, UK

Birth Name

Michael James Hucknall

Height

5' 11" (1.80 m)

Mini Biography

Mick Hucknall sang in a punk band called the Frantic Elevators, who released four singles, all of which failed to chart. They disbanded in 1982 and Hucknall formed a more successful venture, Simply Red, in 1984. Their first single, a cover of the Valentine Brothers' "Money's Too Tight (to Mention)", was a no. 13 hit in 1985. But the band's next three singles, which included a recording of "Holding Back the Years" (originally a single by the Frantic Elevators), all failed to get into the top 40 and it looked like Simply Red might fail to make much of a mark. But in 1986, "Holding Back the Years" was re-issued, got radio airplay and reached the no. 2 position on the UK chart (and topped the chart in the USA). This song, and many more hit singles, established Simply Red as a white soul act. However, they had to wait until 1995 for their first UK number one, "Fairground".

Hucknall is a prominent supporter of Britain's Labour Party (the band's 1992 hit "Your Mirror" was a condemnation of the Conservative government of the time) and he sings occasionally on Michael Parkinson's BBC chat show.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Trade Mark

Extensive vocal range and memorable phrasing

Trivia

Is said to be worth £30,000,000

Labour Party supporter.

He wanted to buy Manchester United football club in 1998.

He has admitted that his band's name, Simply Red, is a tribute to his love of Manchester United, which he has supported since childhood.

Before Simply Red, Hucknall sang in a punk band.

Performed (as Simply Red) for the BBC's annual Children in Need charity event. [21 November 2003]

Agreed to chair proceedings at Alastair Campbell's one-man show at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester in March 2004. Alastair is Tony Blair's former director of communications.

He was a guest at the talk show TV-Huset (Oktober 2005)

Winner of the 2002 Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding song collection.

Winner of the 1993 Brit Awards for British Male Solo Artist and British Group for Simply Red.

Simply Red were joint winners (with KLF) of the 1992 Brit Award for British Group.

He was also the voice of Aida degli alberi (2001), an animation movie scored by Ennio Morricone. In the movie, Mick sang a duet with Filippa Giordano.

He and girlfriend Gabriella are expecting a baby girl in June 2007.

Daughter Romy True, born 18 June 2007.

Personal Quotes

"Like many artists, my deal meant I paid for the cost of recording the music. I paid for the marketing. I don't know any other business where you pay for something and then someone else owns it."

"I was listening to the Beatles as well, which you weren't allowed to if you were a punk. So I never quite fitted in."

"I've read some amazingly derogatory things about me over the years and I've sat there and thought: if you replaced "ginger" with "black" or even "Asian", you'd be up in front of a judge."

"Celebrity is a fascination with a fake plastic image."

"We've bred this generation of young people who just want to be famous."

"I am in this business for the music. The whole fame and celebrity stuff is the bit that I've always been uncomfortable with."

"I'm interested in what legacy you leave behind musically, not about what I am now, what I look like, whether I'm skinny, whether I'm fat, whether I'm good looking, whether I'm ugly. I don't think it matters. It's about the music."

"Aretha Franklin was a huge influence on the way I sing. I'd always try and get the notes that she could get."

"I believe that music should communicate to as many people as you can get to. In that kind of DJ, music journalist world the snobbery comes from 'it's too successful, therefore I can't like it. It's too big a hit'."

"I was a soul boy before I was a punk. James Brown and Motown - we related to it because we were kind of blue collar."

"What's wrong with coffee tables? Millions of people have got coffee tables. What's wrong with having a book on there and a Simply Red and a Sade CD? I don't have a problem with it."

"The influence of black American music has been inherent in British pop culture since the sixties."

"Maybe these girls want to sleep with me because I sing quite well."

"We would never have gained the attention without a major label throughout the world initially. I just got tired of them taking all the money."

I am one of the best singer-songwriters this country has produced. Ever. If people don't like me saying that, tough shit. You can't sell 50 million albums without something.

Where Are They Now

(1985 to present) Lead Singer and only Original Band Member of Simply Red

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