English musician; singer of The Stone Roses
Ian Brown
|
---|
Brown in 2012
|
|
Birth name
| Ian George Brown
|
---|
Born
| (
1963-02-20
)
20 February 1963
(age 61)
Warrington
, England
|
---|
Origin
| Altrincham
, England
|
---|
Genres
| |
---|
Occupation(s)
| - Singer
- musician
- songwriter
- actor
|
---|
Instrument(s)
| - Vocals
- percussion
- keyboards
- guitar
- bass
|
---|
Years active
| |
---|
Labels
| |
---|
Formerly of
| |
---|
|
Website
| ianbrown
.co
.uk
|
---|
Musical artist
Ian George Brown
(born 20 February 1963) is an English musician. He was the lead singer and the only continuous member of the
alternative rock
band
the Stone Roses
from their formation in 1983. Following the band's initial split in 1996, he began a solo career, releasing seven studio albums, a greatest hits compilation, a remix album, an 11-disc box set titled
Collection
, and 19 singles. He returned to singing for the Stone Roses in 2011, although this did not spell the end of his solo endeavours, releasing
First World Problems
through Virgin/EMI Records on 25 October 2018.
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Brown was born in
Warrington
on 20 February 1963 and grew up on Forster Street,
Orford
, until the age of about six.
[1]
[2]
His father, George, was a
joiner
, and his mother, Jean, worked as a receptionist in a paper factory.
[2]
He then moved with his family, including a brother (David) and sister (Sharon) to Sylvan Avenue in
Timperley
,
Altrincham
.
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
He attended Park Road County Primary Infant and Junior School and then
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
, leaving aged 16.
[7]
In 2015 and 2017, he testified against a former teacher at Altrincham Grammar,
Fred Talbot
, who was found guilty of sexually abusing pupils in the 1970s.
[8]
Brown's interest in music was inspired by the punk movement, specifically the bands
Sex Pistols
,
the Clash
, and Manchester-based
Slaughter & the Dogs
. He was also an early follower of
psychobilly
music and was a regular at many scooter rallies in the north of England.
[9]
Brown and original
Stone Roses
bassist Pete Garner attended the recording of the Clash single "
Bankrobber
" in Manchester.
[10]
Music career
[
edit
]
The Stone Roses
[
edit
]
Brown's music career began in 1980, playing bass guitar in a band with
John Squire
and
Simon Wolstencroft
.
[11]
They eventually became the Patrol, with Andy Couzens on vocals. The band soon split up, with Brown selling his bass to buy a scooter.
[12]
Brown moved to
Hulme
and attended
Northern soul
"all-nighters" across
Northern England
in the early 1980s as the scene faded. Around this time, Brown met
soul
legend
Geno Washington
, who told him, "You should be a star."
[13]
In 1983, Brown joined the Waterfront, the band that would evolve into the Stone Roses, as co-vocalist.
[14]
The Stone Roses rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their debut album voted the best British album of all time in 2004.
[15]
The band's second album,
Second Coming
, received a mixed reaction, and after several changes of line-up, the band split up in October 1996.
On 17 October 2011, Brown alluded to a Stone Roses reunion via text message, saying, "We are going to rule the world again. It's happening."
[16]
On the following day, a reunion was announced for the band with performances planned for June 2012 in Manchester.
[17]
[18]
In a press conference interview, the members of the Stone Roses have said that a new album is planned.
[19]
On 2 December 2011, Ian Brown and John Squire performed together live for the first time since 1995. They joined
Mick Jones
from
The Clash
,
The Farm
, and
Pete Wylie
at the
Manchester Ritz
in a concert in aid of the
Justice for Hillsborough
campaign. They performed "Elizabeth My Dear" as a duo before being joined by Mick Jones and The Farm for renditions of the Clash's "
Bankrobber
" and "Armagideon Time", with Ian Brown taking on lead vocals for the three songs.
The Stone Roses reunited in 2011 and went on a
reunion tour
in 2012. They continued to tour until 2017 when the band disbanded for a second time.
Solo career
[
edit
]
After a break from music in
Morocco
, Brown established his solo career with the debut solo single "
My Star
", which was released in the UK on 12 January 1998.
[20]
The debut album
Unfinished Monkey Business
followed on 2 February 1998. The album was produced and financed by Brown and featured ex-Roses members
Mani
,
Nigel Ipinson
,
Aziz Ibrahim
, and Robbie Maddix.
[21]
The album sold over 300,000 copies.
[22]
Brown toured in summer 1998 with a band that included Aziz Ibrahim (guitar), Inder "Goldfinger" Matharu (tabla/percussion), Simon Moore (drums), and Sylvan Richardson (bass), including performances at the
Glastonbury Festival
and the
V Festival
.
[23]
Brown was arrested after a flight back from his live show in
Paris
and later sentenced to four months in prison for using
threatening behaviour towards an airline stewardess and captain
, a charge he denied, causing his tour to be rescheduled.
[24]
[25]
His bandmate Aziz Ibrahim condemned the sentence, saying that Brown was "just being cheeky".
[26]
He had threatened to cut off the hands of the stewardess and hammered on the cockpit door, as the plane came in to land.
[27]
A few weeks before, he had threatened a magazine critic, who had given his album a one-star review, to a "good kicking".
[27]
While in
Strangeways Prison
, Brown wrote the lyrics for "Free My Way", "So Many Soldiers", and "Set My Baby Free".
[28]
He was released on parole after two months.
His second album,
Golden Greats
, was released by
Polydor Records
in 1999. It featured more electronic instrumentation and earned critical acclaim.
[
citation needed
]
For his third studio album,
Music of the Spheres
, Brown sought outside production help for the first time, hiring the services of songwriter and producer
Dave McCracken
, who would go on to become a regular collaborator. He toured the US for the first time as a solo artist in support of the album.
[29]
Brown's fourth solo album,
Solarized
, was released in the UK on 13 September 2004 and was the first to be released under the revived Polydor imprint
Fiction Records
. When his new Fiction A&R Jim Chancellor was asked in
HitQuarters
what contribution he makes to Brown's records, he said, "There's not as much to do. Ian is very much the master of his own records."
[30]
Since the break-up of the Stone Roses in 1996, Brown has released six solo albums and fourteen
UK Top 40
singles.
[31]
He has sold out seven UK tours and appeared three times at the
Glastonbury Festival
, including headlining the Other Stage in 2005.
[32]
He has appeared five times at
V Festival
since 1998, along with regular appearances at
T in the Park
and
Oxegen
festivals, and played the Move festival in 2002 at
Old Trafford Cricket Ground
[33]
as well as two tours of Australia in 2006 and 2008.
At the 2006
NME
awards, Brown was presented with the "Godlike Genius" award and in 2007, was given the
Q
"Legend" Award.
[34]
[35]
In September 2007, Brown released his fifth studio album,
The World Is Yours
. The album represented a more political approach
[
citation needed
]
in his music, particularly the anti-war track "
Illegal Attacks
", which featured
Sinead O'Connor
. The album also featured former
Smiths
bassist
Andy Rourke
,
Paul Ryder
of
Happy Mondays
,
[36]
and Steve Jones and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols.
My Way
, his sixth solo album, was released in September 2009.
[37]
It was recorded at London's Battery Studios with producer
Dave McCracken
; the first single, "Stellify", was released 21 September 2009. Brown played Manchester Arena for the third time in December 2009 and in 2010, made his third appearance in
Moscow
and second in
Beijing
, China. Since turning solo in 1998, Brown has played shows in 45 countries.
[38]
Brown has collaborated several times with
UNKLE
, appearing on "Be There" in 1999 and on "Reign" on the 2003 album
Never, Never, Land
, which was also released as a single.
[39]
On 25 October 2018, he released his first solo material in nine years with the single "First World Problems". His seventh studio album,
Ripples
, was then released on 1 February 2019.
On 18 September 2020, Brown announced the release of new song "Little Seed, Big Tree" through his Twitter account. The song appears to refer to the COVID-19 pandemic, and express anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine sentiment.
[40]
Brown later complained that it was taken off
Spotify
. A Spotify spokesman stated that the platform "prohibits content on the platform which promotes dangerous false, deceptive, or misleading content about COVID-19".
[41]
In September 2022 he made the first appearance of a UK tour, with a sold-out performance in
Leeds
. His use of
backing tracks
in place of a live band was met with a negative reaction by some attendees.
[42]
[43]
Film and television
[
edit
]
Brown had a cameo role in the 2004 film
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
as a wizard magically stirring his drink while reading
Stephen Hawking
's
A Brief History of Time
at the
Leaky Cauldron
.
[44]
In 2010, Brown had a cameo role as a police officer in Shane Meadow's series
This is England '86
based on the film of
This is England
.
Personal life
[
edit
]
Brown is a
teetotaler
, claiming that he has not had a drink of alcohol since 1999.
[45]
Brown was married to Fabiola Quiroz, a model from Mexico. They divorced in 2011.
[46]
He has three children, one with Quiroz, the other two from a previous relationship.
[47]
Brown is a lifelong supporter of
Manchester United
and is a season ticket holder.
[48]
For the 2005?06 season, Brown was the shirt sponsor of London Commercial Division football team Chiswick Homefields, the players wearing an "IB ? The Greatest" logo on their chests.
[49]
Legal issues
[
edit
]
In October 1998, Brown was arrested and sentenced to four months in jail for threatening a
British Airways
attendant on a flight to Manchester from Paris. He spent two months in jail.
[50]
[51]
In June 2005, Brown was arrested in
San Francisco
after an altercation with a fan who tackled Brown on stage. However, no charges were pressed against Brown.
[52]
[53]
In 2011, Brown was given a driving ban following three speeding violations. He was fined over £1,900.
[54]
Views
[
edit
]
Brown believes in
God
, but does not subscribe to any organized religion.
[55]
During the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
, Brown promoted conspiracy theories
[56]
and
misinformation about the pandemic
,
[57]
[58]
and criticised
lockdowns
, the use of
masks
and the
COVID-19 vaccine
.
[59]
In July 2021, Brown received a two-week Twitter ban for posting
false claims
that the vaccine was not effective. He pulled out of a festival headline slot as he disagreed with its
vaccine passport
for entry policy, calling it the "new nazi normal".
[57]
His anti-lockdown song "Little Seed, Big Tree", which featured lyrics alluding to
conspiracy theories
about the COVID-19 vaccine,
[60]
was taken down from
Spotify
.
[41]
Awards and achievements
[
edit
]
Ian Brown has won several awards and magazine polls in his career, in recognition of his work as a solo artist and his work with the Stone Roses. The awards he has won are as follows:
- The Stone Roses
- 1997
The Stone Roses
reached No. 5 in
The Guardian
'
s 100 Best Albums Ever poll
- 1998
The Stone Roses
reached No. 4 in
Q
magazine's 100 Best Albums Ever poll
- 2004
The Stone Roses
reached No. 1 in
The Observer
'
s 100 Best British Albums Ever poll
- 2006
The Stone Roses
reached No. 1 in the
NME
writers 100 Best British Albums Ever poll
- 2006
The Stone Roses
reached No. 7 in
NME
fans 100 Best Albums Ever poll
- Solo
Discography
[
edit
]
In the UK, Ian Brown as solo artist has sold over 500,000 albums.
Solo albums
[
edit
]
Studio
[
edit
]
Remixes
[
edit
]
Compilations
[
edit
]
Singles
[
edit
]
Year
|
Title
|
UK
[31]
[68]
|
IRL
[66]
[69]
|
Album
|
1998
|
"My Star"
|
5
|
9
|
Unfinished Monkey Business
|
"Corpses in Their Mouths"
|
14
|
26
|
"
Can't See Me
"
|
21
|
?
|
1999
|
"
Be There
"
(
UNKLE
featuring Ian Brown)
|
8
|
22
|
Psyence Fiction
|
"Love Like a Fountain"
|
23
|
?
|
Golden Greats
|
2000
|
"Dolphins Were Monkeys"
|
5
|
28
|
"
Golden Gaze
"
|
29
|
50
|
"
Thriller
"
|
?
|
?
|
"Golden Gaze"
|
2001
|
"
F.E.A.R.
"
(Certified Silver in the UK on 22 July 2013)
|
13
|
19
|
Music of the Spheres
|
2002
|
"Whispers"
|
33
|
?
|
2004
|
"Keep What Ya Got"
|
18
|
29
|
Solarized
|
"Reign"
(UNKLE featuring Ian Brown)
|
40
|
?
|
Never, Never, Land
|
2005
|
"Time Is My Everything"
|
15
|
29
|
Solarized
|
"All Ablaze"
|
20
|
32
|
The Greatest
|
2007
|
"Illegal Attacks"
(Ian Brown featuring
Sinead O'Connor
)
|
16
|
32
|
The World Is Yours
|
"Sister Rose"
|
87
|
?
|
2009
|
"
Stellify
"
|
31
|
42
|
My Way
|
"Just Like You"
|
?
|
?
|
2018
|
"First World Problems"
|
?
|
?
|
Ripples
|
2023
|
"Rules"
|
?
[a]
|
?
|
Non-album single
|
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
"Rules" did not enter the UK Top 100 Singles Chart but debuted and peaked at number 62 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart on 19 May 2023.
[70]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
John Robb (2012).
The Stone Roses: With Exclusive Interviews and New Chapters
. Ebury Press. pp. 17?.
ISBN
978-0-09-194858-0
.
- ^
a
b
Robb, p. 13
- ^
"Ian Brown ? Celebrity fans ? Interviews"
. FourFourTwo. 31 July 2009
. Retrieved
22 March
2012
.
- ^
Simon Hattenstone (22 September 2005).
"Simon Hattenstone meets Ian Brown | Music"
.
The Guardian
. UK
. Retrieved
22 March
2012
.
- ^
Music (7 April 2011).
"The Stone Roses: a potted history"
. London: Telegraph.
Archived
from the original on 12 January 2022
. Retrieved
22 March
2012
.
- ^
"Timperley, a historical part of Cheshire | Living Edge"
. Livingedge.greatbritishlife.co.uk. 3 February 2010
. Retrieved
22 March
2012
.
- ^
a
b
Robb, p. 14-19
- ^
"Stone Roses' Ian Brown 'shown gay porn by Fred Talbot'
"
. BBC News. 27 January 2015.
"Stone Roses singer Ian Brown gives evidence at Fred Talbot trial"
. BBC News. 16 May 2017
. Retrieved
13 July
2017
.
- ^
Robb, p. 20-21
- ^
Robb, p. 30
- ^
Robb, p. 31
- ^
Robb, p. 48-49
- ^
Robb, p. 70
- ^
Robb, p. 71
- ^
"
Stone Roses 'top British album'
",
BBC
, 20 June 2004, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"Ian Brown on the Stone Roses reunion: 'It's happening'
"
.
NME
. UK. 17 October 2011
. Retrieved
17 October
2011
.
- ^
"The Stone Roses confirm reunion and two homecoming shows for 2012"
.
NME
. UK. 18 October 2011
. Retrieved
18 October
2011
.
- ^
"Stone Roses reunion praised by Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson"
.
Digital Spy
. 18 October 2011
. Retrieved
18 October
2011
.
- ^
"Stone Roses Reunion Tour and New Album is Happening"
.
Spacelab
. 18 October 2011. Archived from
the original
on 25 April 2012
. Retrieved
18 October
2011
.
- ^
Robb, p. 380
- ^
Robb, p. 383
- ^
Robb, p. 386
- ^
Robb, p. 387
- ^
"
Former Stone Roses singer jailed for air rage
",
BBC
, 23 October 1998, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"
Ex-Stone Roses star goes back to jail
",
BBC
, 2 November 1998, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"
Aziz: 'Ian was Made an Example of'
",
NME
, 10 October 1998, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
a
b
Hogan, Michael (27 October 2020).
"
'I'm gonna give you a proper Manchester kicking': Ian Brown's journey from violence to anti-vaxxer"
.
Daily Telegraph
.
- ^
Robb, p. 390
- ^
"
Ian Brown Returns to North America with Golden Greats
",
VH1
, 18 May 2000, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"Interview With Jim Chancellor"
.
HitQuarters
. 26 October 2005. Archived from
the original
on 5 September 2018
. Retrieved
30 June
2010
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Ian Brown | full Official Chart history"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved
9 February
2019
.
- ^
"
Glasto 2005 ends in style
",
BBC
, 27 June 2005, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"
Northern Jam
",
NME
, 13 July 2002, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
a
b
"Ian Brown declared Godlike Genius | News"
.
NME
. UK. 31 January 2006
. Retrieved
22 March
2012
.
- ^
a
b
"
Ian Brown ? Legend
Archived
4 October 2011 at the
Wayback Machine
", Q Awards, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"
Ian Brown chases Paul McCartney for new album
",
NME
, 6 January 2007, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
Lee, Ann (2009) "
Ian Brown does epic rock his way
",
Metro
, 28 September 2009, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"Ian Brown Concert Setlists"
.
setlist.fm
. Retrieved
13 May
2024
.
- ^
Sullivan, Caroline (2003) "
UNKLE, Never, Never, Land
",
The Guardian
, 12 September 2003, retrieved 14 August 2011
- ^
Jones, Damien (18 September 2020).
"Ian Brown shares anti-lockdown song 'Little Seed Big Tree' and hits out again over coronavirus"
.
NME
. Retrieved
9 September
2021
.
- ^
a
b
Richards, Will (13 March 2021).
"Ian Brown says Spotify has taken down his anti-lockdown song 'Little Seed Big Tree'
"
.
NME
. Retrieved
9 September
2021
.
- ^
Rodger, James (26 September 2022).
"Ian Brown fans 'walk out' as singer performs to backing track on UK tour"
.
BirminghamLive
.
- ^
Richards, Will (26 September 2022).
"Ian Brown fans share anger after Stone Roses singer plays sold out Leeds gig with no band"
.
NME
.
- ^
"
Potter man to work with Ian Brown?
",
RTE
, 26 August 2004, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
WENN (22 May 2006).
"Teetotal Brown: 'I'm Not A Hellraiser'
"
.
contactmusic.net
. Archived from
the original
on 29 July 2017.
- ^
"Stone Roses to reunite as Ian Brown faces costly divorce bill"
.
The Daily Telegraph
. 18 October 2011.
Archived
from the original on 12 January 2022
. Retrieved
9 January
2020
.
- ^
"Ian Brown's moneymaking kids"
. Boston.com. 20 July 2009
. Retrieved
16 October
2020
.
- ^
Bainbridge, Luke (1 February 2009).
"My sporting life: Ian Brown"
.
The Guardian
. London.
- ^
"
Ian Brown gets shirty ? Chiswick Homefields FC
Archived
7 April 2012 at the
Wayback Machine
", glasswerk.co.uk, 17 September 2005, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"Stone Roses' Ian Brown Gets Four Months"
.
MTV
. Retrieved
20 December
2022
.
- ^
"I'm no criminal, says air rage singer"
.
news.bbc.co.uk
. Retrieved
20 December
2022
.
- ^
NME (16 March 2005).
"IAN BROWN ARRESTED AFTER ONSTAGE FIGHT"
.
NME
. Retrieved
20 December
2022
.
- ^
"Ian Brown arrested"
.
Manchester Evening News
. 30 June 2005
. Retrieved
20 December
2022
.
- ^
"Stone Roses singer Ian Brown banned from driving"
.
the Guardian
. 24 November 2011
. Retrieved
20 December
2022
.
- ^
Thomas, Rich (19 June 2011).
"My Philosophy: Ian Brown"
.
Magnetic Magazine
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Pop star Ian Brown's anti-vaxx Japanese blood conspiracy theory debunked"
.
uk.news.yahoo.com
. June 2021
. Retrieved
11 September
2021
.
- ^
a
b
Snapes, Laura (4 March 2021).
"Ian Brown pulls out of music festival over Covid vaccination row"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
4 March
2021
.
- ^
"Ian Brown Won't Play Shows With Vaccination Requirements"
.
SPIN
. 27 February 2021
. Retrieved
11 September
2021
.
- ^
"Ian Brown accuses Spotify of censoring his anti-lockdown song"
.
Entertainment.ie
. 16 March 2021
. Retrieved
16 March
2021
.
- ^
"Ian Brown steps down from festival over vaccine"
.
BBC News
. 4 March 2021
. Retrieved
11 September
2021
.
- ^
"
New award for pop princess Kylie
", breakingnews.ie, 25 February 2002, retrieved 14 August 2011
- ^
"
Brit nominations: Hit or miss?
",
BBC
, 8 March 2000, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"
Gorillaz lead Brit Awards race
",
BBC
, 15 January 2002, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
Edwards, Fiona (2006) "
Kaiser Chiefs take three Brit Awards
", digitalspy.co.uk, 16 February 2006, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
Singh, Anita (2009) "
Duffy, Coldplay and Neil Diamond on the Brit Awards nominations list
",
Daily Telegraph
, 21 January 2009, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
a
b
c
"Ian Brown"
.
Irishcharts.com
. Retrieved
16 February
2014
.
- ^
"IRMA ? Irish Charts"
.
Irish Recorded Music Association
. Retrieved
9 February
2019
.
- ^
"
Ian Brown
Archived
9 August 2011 at the
Wayback Machine
", Official Charts Company, retrieved 12 August 2011
- ^
"Irish Chart History 1962?present"
. Archived from
the original
on 26 January 2010
. Retrieved
16 February
2014
.
- ^
"Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 19 May 2023 - 25 May 2023"
.
Official Charts
. 19 May 2023
. Retrieved
27 May
2023
.
References
[
edit
]
- Larkin, Colin (ed.) (1998)
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave
, Virgin Books,
ISBN
0-7535-0231-3
- Robb, John (2001)
The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop
, Random House,
ISBN
0-09-187887-X
External links
[
edit
]
Wikiquote has quotations related to
Ian Brown
.
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Studio albums
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Remix and
compilation albums
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Singles
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Collaborations
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Related articles
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Studio albums
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Compilations
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Extended plays
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Singles
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Tours
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Related articles
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International
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National
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