Biography
Who is Jimmy Somerville?
Early life and background
Jimmy Somerville: James William Somerville was born on June 22, 1961, in Glasgow, United Kingdom. He grew up in Ruchill, a neighbourhood located in northern Glasgow. In 1980, he relocated to London, where he lived in squats and immersed himself in local gay culture. During this period, he attended the London Gay Teenage Group before launching his music career.
Bronski Beat and the Communards
In 1983, Jimmy co-founded the synth-pop group Bronski Beat. The band achieved worldwide commercial success with their 1984 single Smalltown Boy, which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and was featured on their debut album The Age of Consent. In the music video, Jimmy played the titular character who leaves his hostile hometown for the city.
Jimmy left Bronski Beat in 1985 and formed The Communards with pianist Richard Coles. They released a self-titled debut album in 1986, which featured a cover of Don't Leave Me This Way. This single spent four weeks at number one on the UK charts and became the best-selling single of 1986 in the United Kingdom. The duo released their second studio album Red in 1987 before disbanding in 1988.
Solo career and later work
Following the split of The Communards, Jimmy began a solo career. He released his debut solo album Read My Lips in November 1989, which included three UK Top 30 hits such as You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). In November 1990, his greatest-hits album The Singles Collection 1984/1990 reached number four on the UK Album Chart.
Over the following decades, Jimmy continued to release music, including the albums Dare to Love in 1995, Manage The Damage in 1999, Home Again in 2004, and Homage in 2015. He also pursued an acting career, appearing in films such as Orlando and Looking for Langston.
Birthday and age
Jimmy Somerville was born on June 22, 1961, which makes Jimmy 65 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Jimmy shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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