Kevin Rowland
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox musical artist
Kevin Rowland (born 17 August 1953) is a British singer and musician best known as the frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners (currently called Dexys).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen", both of which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.
Early lifeEdit
Rowland was born in Wednesfield, Staffordshire (now Wolverhampton), on 17 August 1953 to Irish parents from Crossmolina, County Mayo, Ireland,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and he lived for three years in Ireland from the age of one year old before returning to Wolverhampton. The family moved to Harrow when he was 11 and he left school aged 15.<ref name=observer>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Before his music career, Rowland worked as a hairdresser.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
CareerEdit
Rowland's first group, Lucy & the Lovers, were influenced by Roxy Music and turned out to be short-lived. His next project, the punk rock act the Killjoys, were slightly more successful, releasing the single "Johnny Won't Get To Heaven" in 1977.
Alienated by the punk scene, Rowland, together with Killjoys guitarist Kevin Archer, formed a new soul-influenced group, Dexys Midnight Runners. Many of the group's songs were inspired by Rowland's Irish ancestry and were recognisable through Rowland's idiosyncratic vocal style. On forming the band Rowland thought it was "important to have a vocal style", he later recalled, "and I had the idea of putting that 'crying' voice on", partly inspired by General Johnson of Chairmen of the Board.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band had several hit singles, such as "Come On Eileen" (1982).<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
At the end of the 1980s, Rowland wanted to explore different songwriting, and Dexys Midnight Runners began recording more "introspective, mournful" music. The new material was unsuccessful; Dexys Midnight Runners were dropped by their label and disbanded.<ref name=":0" /> Rowland said: "I'd been too confident, too arrogant. I thought everyone would hear our new music and go: 'Wow.'"<ref name=":0" /> He became reliant on drugs, lost his money, and entered rehab.<ref name=":0" />
When Dexys disbanded in 1987, Rowland recorded a solo album, The Wanderer, which, together with its three singles, was a commercial failure. His next release was not until 1999 when he recorded a collection of interpretations of classic songs called My Beauty, the album cover of which depicted a heavily made-up Rowland in a dress and lingerie.
In 2003, Rowland reformed Dexys Midnight Runners—featuring only one other original member, bassist Pete Williams, who fulfilled the role as Rowland's co-vocalist—and embarked on a successful comeback tour backed up with a greatest hits compilation album including two newly recorded songs, "Manhood" and "My Life in England". Both of these new songs were radio tested by the record label, but neither received enough airplay to be considered for release.
In 2012 Rowland re-launched Dexys Midnight Runners as "Dexys" with a new album One Day I'm Going to Soar accompanied by a UK tour. Rowland has always identified strongly with his Irish background and in 2016 Dexys released their fifth album, Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul, featuring interpretations of Irish folk songs such as "Women of Ireland" and "Carrickfergus", among others.
Since around 2005, Rowland has hosted a popular DJ tour in clubs and venues throughout the UK. His eclectic set includes his personal favourites, vintage soul and pop numbers from such notables as T-Rex, Roxy Music, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In summer of 2020 Rowland released a new video for the song Rag Doll, a promo which features his grandson Roo.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2020, My Beauty was re-released by Cherry Red Records and finally became a UK chart hit in October, peaking at number 73 in the albums chart.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DiscographyEdit
Studio albumsEdit
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1988 | The Wanderer
|
| 1999 | My Beauty
|
SinglesEdit
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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| 1988 | "Walk Away" | 95 | The Wanderer | ||||||
| "Tonight" | 81 | ||||||||
| "Young Man" | 102 | ||||||||
| 1999 | "Concrete and Clay" | — | My Beauty | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Guest appearancesEdit
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Sean" (with The Proclaimers) | Sunshine on Leith |