Hugh Alan Cornwell (born 28 August 1949, London, England) is an English musician and songwriter, best known for being the vocalist and guitarist for punk/new wave group, The Stranglers, from 1974 to 1990.
Contents |
Career
Cornwell grew up in Tufnell Park and Kentish Town and attended William Ellis School in Highgate, where he was friends with Richard Thompson, later a member of Fairport Convention. In the late 1960s, after earning a B.A. in biochemistry from Bristol University, he embarked on post-graduate research post in Lund University (Sweden). Not long after his arrival he formed a band, Johnny Sox. Cornwell did not complete his doctorate and returned to the UK, in 1974. Soon after, he formed The Stranglers with Jet Black, Hans Warmling and Jean Jacques Burnel. Warmling departed the band and was replaced by Dave Greenfield who joined in 1975 after answering an advertisement placed in the Melody Maker. By 1977 they had secured a recording contract with the United Artists record label and become the highest selling band on the UK punk scene and had a big number of hit singles and albums. By the time Cornwell reached his thirties, the British punk scene started to fade, thus prompting him to start a solo career. He recorded his first album away from the group, Nosferatu, in collaboration with the Captain Beefheart's Magic Band's drummer, Robert Williams, in 1979. In 1990 he decided that the band could go no further artistically, especially after covering the song "96 Tears" that same year. He recorded the album 10 before leaving after 16 years. He described life with the Stranglers as brilliant , but he felt he had a dark coat over him. His biographical writing attest to many conflicts within the band, particularly with Burnel. Since leaving The Stranglers his solo career has continued. He has released several solo albums including Wolf (1988) produced by Ian Ritchie, Wired (1993), Guilty (1997), Hi Fi (2000), Footprints in the Desert (2002), Mayday (2002), In the Dock (2003), Beyond Elysian Fields (2004) and in 2006 a live album in two forms; People Places Pieces as a triple CD box set, accompanied by a simultaneously released mass-market highlights disc, Dirty Dozen. Wired, Guilty and Hi Fi were released under different names, and with slightly different track listings, in the United States. Beyond Elysian Fields was initially released by Track Records in the UK, followed by Invisible Hands Music in the rest of the world, with expanded artwork. In September 2007 Cornwell embarked on a UK tour with Captain Beefheart's Magic Band's drummer, Robert Williams. Three new songs were previewed, "Bangin' On", "Please Don't Put Me On A Slow Boat To Trowbridge" and "Delightful Nightmare".
Discography
Cornwell's discography can be found at The Stranglers.
Books
Cornwell has also written three books:
- Inside Information (1980) tells of the time he spent in Pentonville prison for drug possession
- The Stranglers - Song by Song (2001) guides the reader through all of The Stranglers catalogue
- A Multitude of Sins (2004) [1] is his autobiography.
His next book will be a work of fiction, Window to the World.
Cricket
A fan of cricket, Cornwell appeared on the 'Jamie Theakston Cricket Show' on Radio Five Live in 2001. He played a live acoustic version of "(Get) A Grip (On Yourself)" with the then England batsman and guitarist Mark Butcher. Cornwell has subsequently become a player with Bunbury Cricket Club.
References
- ^ A Multitude of Sins - 1st release: Harper Collins, 4 October 2004, ISBN 0007190824; 2nd release: 4 April 2005, ISBN 0007193254
