Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Steve Strange
background	solo_singer
birth name	Steven John Harrington
born	April 28, 1959
origin	Newbridge, Monmouthshire
genre	Punk, New Wave, Synthpop
years active	1977–19862004–present
label	Polydor Records
associated acts	The Moors Murderers, The Photons, Visage, Strange Cruise
website	}}

Steve Strange (born Steven John Harrington, 28 May 1959), is a Welsh pop singer, best known as the lead singer and frontman of the 1980s pop group Visage. Since the late 1970s he has also been a prominent nightclub host and promoter.

Biography

Harrington was born in Newbridge, Caerphilly, Wales, but moved with his family to Aldershot where his father was serving in the army as a paratrooper. The family moved back to Wales and lived in Rhyl where his parents bought a large guest house and opened sea front cafes. They then divorced and he moved with his mother to Newbridge in South Wales where he attended Newbridge Grammar School. It merged with a secondary school to form Newbridge Comprehensive School a year after he arrived there, and he subsequently lost interest in all subjects but arts.

Career

Punk era

After seeing a Sex Pistols concert at the Stowaway Club in Newport in 1976, Harrington befriended the bass player Glen Matlock. He then arranged gigs for punk bands in his home town and befriended Jean-Jacques Burnel of the Stranglers before leaving for London where he worked for Malcolm McLaren and formed a punk band called The Moors Murderers with Soo Catwoman. Further members included future Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, future Psychedelic Furs drummer Vince Ely, future Clash drummer Nicky Headon and the Kid (who was formerly in Adam and the Ants, as Mark Ryan). They recorded a song called "Free Hindley". After a number of gigs, the band split up around early 1978.

Later in 1978, Harrington briefly joined the punk/new wave band The Photons (originally from Liverpool) as vocalist and co-songwriter at the behest of David Littler (ex The Spitfire Boys). The band were managed by Punk impresario Andy Czezowski.

Harrington was also the subject of the song "Poseur" by fellow punk band Combat 84 in 1982.

Visage

Shortly after leaving The Photons and now using the alias "Steve Strange", Harrington formed Visage with then Rich Kids members Rusty Egan and Midge Ure and Magazine members Barry Adamson, John McGeoch & Dave Formula. Intended as a studio-based project, they signed to the small label Radar Records and released their first single "Tar" in 1979. The single was not a success, but the following year, Strange appeared in the video for David Bowie's no.1 hit "Ashes to Ashes", a song which helped to propel the burgeoning New Romantic movement into the mainstream (although Bowie himself was never associated with it). Later that year, Visage signed a new record deal with the major label Polydor and released their second single, "Fade to Grey". The single became a top 10 hit in the UK and topped the charts in several other countries. Being the public face of the band, Strange shot to stardom in Britain and other parts of Europe, and Visage enjoyed a string of hit singles and two hit albums before later commercial disappointments led to their breakup in 1985.

After the dissolution of Visage, Strange formed the short-lived band Strange Cruise with Wendy Wu and Elite model Leza Cruz, although this outfit failed to recapture the level of success he had enjoyed in the early 1980s.

Club host

In the late 1970s, prior to their success with Visage, Strange and Visage partner Rusty Egan began to make a name for themselves as a nightclub host and DJ respectively at "Blitz" in London. Adhering to Strange's strict door policy of admitting only "the weird and wonderful", the club took off and became an essential location in the rise of what would become the New Romantic movement. Following this, Strange and Egan then ran the Camden Palace nightclub for two years, which became one of the most famous venues of the era, attracting major celebrities on a regular basis. However, after conflicts with the financial backers of the club, Strange and Egan left the Camden Palace and moved on to a new club named "The Playground", but this venue was not as successful.

Later in the 1980s, Strange went to Ibiza, Spain and became an integral part of the budding Trance club movement and hosting exotic parties for celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone. In the early 1990s he was the host at the ''Double Bass'' club.

Personal life

Strange has always been somewhat ambiguous about his sexuality, although he has made it known he has had relationships with both men and women.

For many years, Strange battled a heroin addiction. In later years he suffered a nervous breakdown and was also arrested for shoplifting. In court, he was found guilty and given a three month suspended sentence as the British media had a field day publicising the case of a pop star who had fallen on hard times.

Recent years

Strange's autobiography ''Blitzed!'' was published in 2002. In it, he speaks about his heroin addiction and his nervous breakdown, his sexuality, and the ongoing attempts to get his life back together. Following this, Strange attempted to revive his music career and formed a new version of Visage (dubbed ''Visage mk II'') with various musicians from modern electronic bands (none of the other original members were involved in this new project). With a plan to re-record some of the older, classic Visage tracks as well as produce some new material, the project never seemed to fully get off the ground despite some television appearances. The first Visage Mark II song was called "Diary of A Madman", which was made available for download in 2007 in return for a donation to the Children In Need appeal. Prior to this in 2006, Strange had collaborated with electronic music duo Punx Soundcheck for their 2006 album ''When Machines Rules The World'', co-writing and performing on the track "In the Dark".

In 2005, Strange appeared in a Channel 4 documentary called ''Whatever Happened To The Gender Benders?'', which reflected on the advent of the New Romantic movement of the early 1980s and the prominent roles that Strange, Boy George and Marilyn each played within it. In stark contrast to the relative glamour of the New Romantic era, interviews with all three stars in the present day highlighted the sheer devastation that fame, fortune and drug addiction had taken on each of them during the past 25 or so years, with Strange and Marilyn in particular being openly candid about the mental health problems they now try to cope with every day.

Taboo

Boy George reflected on the New Romantic scene of the early 1980s in his 2002 stage musical ''Taboo'' which featured actors playing Steve Strange, Marilyn, Leigh Bowery, and other peers from the era.

Celebrity Scissorhands

In November 2006, Strange took part in, and went on to win, the BBC reality series for Children in Need ''Celebrity Scissorhands'' (featuring top celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford). He returned to the show for the subsequent two series (2007 and 2008) as Assistant Manager/Image Consultant. In that role, he was in charge of the catwalk, showing all of the best haircuts of the series and also people dressed in 80's style clothing and make-up.

''Ashes to Ashes''

Strange made a brief appearance in episode two of the 1980s-themed BBC TV series ''Ashes to Ashes'', which was aired on 14 February 2008. He played himself performing the Visage song "Fade to Grey" at the "Blitz" nightclub in which he was once host.

''Worried About The Boy''

In 2010, Strange was portrayed by actor Marc Warren in the BBC programme ''Worried About The Boy'', a dramatisation of Boy George's rise to fame. Although the programme was set in the early 1980s, when Strange was in his early 20s, Warren was 43 at the time of production.

References

Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Bisexual musicians Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom Category:LGBT people from Wales Category:People from Newbridge, Caerphilly Category:Welsh male singers Category:Welsh pop singers Category:People educated at Oakdale Comprehensive School

cy:Steve Strange de:Steve Strange es:Steve Strange pl:Steve Strange ru:Стрейндж, Стив sv:Steve Strange

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Name	Margi Clarke
Birth date	1954
Birth place	Liverpool, England
Employer	City Talk 105.9
Occupation	Actress/radio presenter/dance music
Relatives	Her brother is writer Frank Clarke, and her sister is writer and actress Angela Clarke.
Website	}}

Margi Clarke (born 1954) is a British actress (her name is pronounced with a hard 'g'). She was born in Liverpool and raised in Kirkby (originally a suburb of Liverpool), and is known for her Scouse accent and platinum-blonde hair.

Early career

Her official launch into showbusiness came in 1978, as a presenter on the late-night entertainment magazine show, ''What's On'', which was just shown in the ITV Granada region. She was known then simply as Margox.

In 1983 Clarke appeared as 'Fran' in episodes 54 and 66 of the Liverpool-set Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'', credited as Margi MacGregor. Her brother Frank wrote her in, because, as she later said, she "had a gas bill which I couldn't pay".

She first came to prominence in 1985 after starring in the low-budget cult film ''Letter to Brezhnev'' about two working-class Liverpool girls who meet two Russian sailors. This film is widely regarded as one of the most important British films of all time, and inspired the whole "guerilla" film-making scene that eventually blossomed a decade later. The film was made for approximately £50,000 (Clarke called this "the cocaine budget on ''Rambo''"), and became a huge international hit. Margi originated her role of Theresa in ''Letter to Brezhnev'' some three years earlier when the she played the role in a modest run at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983.

In 1986, at the ''Evening Standard British Film Awards'', Clarke took the prize for "Most Promising Newcomer". She followed this with the European art-house trilogy for the Kaurismäki brothers (''I Hired a Contract Killer', "Helsinki Napoli All Night Long" and "L. A. Without a Map").

Film actor and TV presenter

Clarke went on to star in the films ''The Dressmaker'' , ''Strike It Rich'', and ''Leaving the 21st Century'', and had a well-known role in the Pet Shop Boys' video for their 1987 single, ''Rent''. She was the stand-in host for Paula Yates on Channel 4's ''The Tube'' on several occasions. Clarke was also the voice for the character of "Bixie" in the Weetabix adverts at this time. In the late eighties Margi scored a Top Ten hit in the Welsh charts with ''Clutter from the Gutter''.

1n 1989, she landed the part of 'Queenie' in the long running BBC series ''Making Out'', set in a Manchester electronics factory and written by Debbie Horsfield. The show ran for three series, and there have been rumours ever since that the series will return again at some point. In 1991 she returned to presenting, on the late night ITV show ''The Good Sex Guide'' which gained unheard-of audience figures of 13 million for a show that aired at 10.35pm. She was rewarded with a win at the RTS Awards for "Best Female Presenter" in 1994. A second series was equally successful, and a third, ''The Good Sex Guide Abroad'', soon followed. Clarke turned down an offer to take the series into a late night chat show format, the host eventually being Toyah Wilcox.

In 1991 Margi performed with Half Man Half Biscuit on the single "No Regrets", a cover of the classic song, "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien", by Edith Piaf. At the same year she also portrayed Ronnie O'Dowd, a sexy female boxer in ''Blonde Fist''.

Following the success of ''The Good Sex Guide'', Carlton TV offered Margi her own day-time show, and the resulting S''wank'' run for two series. In 1994, Margi tried a new venture, stand-up comedy, and took her one-woman show ''21st Century Scutt'' around the country, including a stint at the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank. She was a regular guest on Channel 4's notorious music show ''The Word'', including one occasion where she tricked presenter Terry Christian into showing "his plums" in a hidden camera set-up.

Around this time Margi's partner was the artist Jamie Reid, and she was paid an undisclosed sum to pose nude while nine months pregnant with their daughter Rowan. The resulting pictures were a take on the recent ''Vanity Fair'' spread of actress Demi Moore, nude while nine months pregnant. The pictures of Margi were published in Sunday tabloid ''The Sunday People''. She also published her own vegetarian cookery book, ''Margi Clarke's Better than Sex Cookbook'', to much acclaim.

Her last role before taking three years off, following the death of her mother and birth of her daughter (Rowan), was in the BBC1 mini-series, ''Soul Survivors'' co-starring Ian McShane. She returned in typical style in 1998, joining the top rated soap opera ''Coronation Street'', playing Jackie Dobbs. She left in 1999, and went on to join the cast of Five soap opera ''Family Affairs'', staying for just under a year, as well as guest starring in an episode of the BBC's ''Casualty''.

She also had roles in two high-profile films in 2002, ''The Revenger's Tragedy'', directed by Alex Cox, and ''24 Hour Party People'', the biopic of the Factory/Hacienda days in Manchester, which Margi was a real life part of in her 'Margox' days of the 1970s. She appeared a guest on the long-running BBC show ''Through the Keyhole'' where her home in Kirkby was revealed. ''The Boys From County Clare'' feature film followed in 2003, in which she played the role of Dove.

Recent years

In 2004 Clarke appeared on the Five reality TV show ''The Farm'' and had a leading role in the theatrical film ''School for Seduction'' co-starring Kelly Brook. In 2006, Clarke had a role in an episode of the ''Hollyoaks'' spin-off ''Hollyoaks: In the City''. This year she was also a contestant on a celebrity version of the BBC gameshow ''The Weakest Link''.

Margi is often referred to as "The Queen Of Liverpool" by the media. This tag was originally attributed to Clarke by music promoter Malcolm McLaren.

In 2005, she began her successful on-line health and beauty range "Soul Rinse" which she runs parallel to her acting career. In 2006/07, she was heard on the airwaves of North-West radio station 105.4 Century Radio as co-presenter of the breakfast show and their late night phone-in shows.

In August 2007, Margi was a guest on ''Big Brother's Big Mouth'' on Channel 4 with Pete Burns, a Liverpool-born friend and performer for many years. At the end of 2007, it was reported in the ''Liverpool Echo'' that Margi would be playing the role of Kath in the infamous Joe Orton play ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'', as part of the city's Capital of Culture celebrations for 2008, and would be writing her memoirs in the near future.

On 11 January 2008, as part of the opening night celebrations of Liverpool's European Capital of Culture year, Margi was one of around a hundred local celebrities hoisted hidden in a blue container by a crane 30 feet into the air, landing on the main stage at St George's Hall in the city. The celebrities stepped out of the container marked "Precious Cargo" to rapturous applause. The same evening Margi appeared as a panel guest on the BBC2 late-night news review show ''Newsnight'', giving her take on her home town's Capital of Culture celebrations.

In January 2008, Margi joined Liverpool's newest talk radio station City Talk 105.9, presenting a late night show on Saturday evenings from 10pm.

Margi is shortly due to return to a prime-time starring role in the second series of the hit British comedy ''Benidorm'' on ITV in 2008 and reprised her role as Jackie Dobbs in ''Coronation Street'' on 2 January 2009, and again on 22 February 2010.

Also in February 2010 Clarke appeared with her daughter Rowan in an episode of the BBC's ''Celebrity Cash in the Attic''.

Margi appeared in 'Scousers in St Helens' on 26 October 2010 alongside Tina Malone, Billy Butler and many, many more. She will also appear in an episode of the BBC show Waterloo Road in May 2011.

References

Margi is appearing in 'Scousers in St Helens' on 26 October 2010 alongside Tina Malone, Billy Butler and many more. Late 2010 recording many music tracks Like A Memory, Holographic Disco, etc., available on iTunes., and in November released her long awaited no holds barred biography "Margi Clarke - Now You See Me"

External links

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:British actors Category:Scouse culture of the early 1980s Category:Actors from Liverpool

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Rusty Egan
background	non_performing_personnel
birth date	September 19, 1957
origin	London
genre	Punk rock, Synthpop, New Romantic, New Wave
years active	1977–present
label	EMI Records
associated acts	The Rich Kids, The Misfits, The Skids, Visage
website	link }}

Rusty Egan (born 19 September 1957, London) was the drummer for the British new wave band, The Rich Kids. They were founded by former Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, bass guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; with Steve New guitarist and backing vocals, occasional lead vocals; and fronted by Midge Ure guitarist, lead vocals and occasional backing vocals, and keyboards player, from their inception in March 1977 to their disbanding in December 1978. He continued working with Ure, and later collaborated with The Misfits, The Skids, Shock, and Visage. However, Egan did not return to Visage for its reunion at the end of the 1990s.

He was the DJ at Blitz, the influential New Romantic nightclub in London where he worked with Steve Strange from 1979 until 1981. Whilst there, he introduced Germany's (Kraftwerk), the Japanese (Yellow Magic Orchestra) and British (Eno, Ultravox, Landscape) electronica/synthpop to the British club scene, almost single-handedly putting together the soundtrack for the New Romantic movement. Egan also owned The Cage, a New Romantic record store on London's King's Road. As the club grew in popularity, Egan began to be recognised as a central figure in London's nightlife. In 1982, he opened up the Camden Palace nightclub in London, where he continued to spread and influence the development of electronica in the UK. For a time, he switched to producing records for many of the bands he used to DJ, including Spear of Destiny, Shock, Visage, and The Senate.

Egan was later brought back into his career as a disc jockey by the allure of the internet as a medium for sharing music. Presently, he works as a DJ at the Boujis nightclub in London, playing and promoting 1980s style synthpop and electronica music.

Originally, Richard James Burgess was Egan's drum teacher.

On 13 June 2008, Egan appeared DJing at the 'Big Top', as part of the Isle of Wight Festival.

Egan appeared alongside former Visage bandmate Steve Strange on makeover show Pop Goes the Band in early 2009 on Living. He had his teeth drastically reconstructed as part of his makeover.

Rusty won the category for lifetime achievement at the 2009 London Club and Bar Awards. Previous winners have included Richard Branson, Mark Fuller and Nick House.

References

External links

Rusty Egan Official Website

www.theblitzclub.com

https://plus.google.com/101461256478258425136?hl=en&tab;=wh#101461256478258425136/about

Rusty Egan on Discogs

http://rustyegan.blogspot.com/

Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:English rock drummers Category:English DJs Category:English record producers Category:Skids (band) members

es:Rusty Egan sv:Rusty Egan

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Jayce Lewis
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
born	Bridgend, Wales
occupation	Musician
years active	2004 – Present
label	EMI
associated acts	Dave Prowse
website	http://www.myspace.com/jaycelewismusic }}

Jayce Lewis (born September 29 1984) is a Welsh solo artist from Bridgend. He was a respected guitarist and drummer before embarking on a solo career.

Musicianship

Jayce Lewis is best known for his self taught and multi skilled musicianship. All instruments, lyrics and synthesizers are composed and performed by Lewis on his debut album. Lewis also formed a session band from a group of friends to support the live production teaching them the music.

The album content touches on several subjects matters within Lewis' lyrics and was inspired by experiences in his life. Lewis' music has been described as high energy rock mixed with dance electronica and tribal drumming.

Biography

Formation

Jayce Lewis started his musical career by learning to play guitar at the age of 6 years old. He is influenced by Brian May of Queen and Igor Cavalera of Sepultura. Hailing from Bridgend in Wales, he is managed by Union Entertainment Group who have an impressive roster including Nickelback, Steven Tyler, Richard Marx and Kevin Costner, Lewis is also being promoted by Dave Prowse who played Darth Vader in the Original Star Wars trilogy. Lewis is a keen follower of dance and tribal music and incorporates this into his solo work

Lewis was signed on a five year deal to EMI Records Asia on 4 September 2009.

"Icon"

Lewis's self-produced solo single "Icon" was released in summer 2009, on EMI Records. It was heavily featured on VH1 and MTV Asia, being played up to 14 times per day. "Icon" had a European release in 2010 and was also featured on Kerrang Tv with high rotations spots on Scuzz's playlist which included a 2-hour take over.

Jayce Lewis is considered to be a rising star on the Asian rock scene and in February headlined the Rock 'N India festival in Delhi and Bangalore alongside popular artists such as the Backstreet Boys and Richard Marx.

A BBC documentary on Jayce Lewis's journey to fame was shown on BBC One Wales on 10 March 2010 as part of a series called ''Planet Wales''. The 40-minute documentary , titled "Big in India" was the first of the series and included live performances in Dubai, India and Germany. The documentary was repeated only three months later on BBC One Wales and North. The documentary also covered Lewis and EMI working towards the release of his second single and album.

New Album

Lewis released his self-titled ''Jayce Lewis'' album on 11 October 2010. Although only releasing two singles in 2010 to accompany the release, the album's début astonished the music world with its top-10 Chart position; ranked at number 7 in the official Asian charts, Jayce's album charted higher than Bonjovi and Eminem but was pipped at the number 6 spot by Linkin Park. The mature diversity in the album attracted an eager buying public and in high unit sale result on the first release. The album was recorded in three separate studios, one of which is the famous Nott-In-Pill Studios in Newport, with ex-Skindred duo Jeff and Ginge.

New album was launched at the Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff, on 30 October 2010.

Gary Numan

In September 2011 Electro Pop Legend Gary Numan confirmed Jayce Lewis for main support on his Dead Son Rising U.K tour covering 7 shows right across the country

Endorsements

Lewis endorses Gibson Guitars, an association that the Welsh man's proud of, as every media image is with his Guitar. he was previously endorsed first by Yamaha's Oak Custom X in 2009 and was heavily featured in print publications behind the kit. In May 2010 Jayce and Tama Drums united under Laney & Headstock Distribution, a combination that has proved very successful, a complete back line Endorsement with Laney Amplification and Ibanez Bass Guitars followed within days.

Lewis is currently endorsed by Tama drums, Paiste cymbals, Ed-Stone Rockware, Laney Amplification, Gibson Guitars and Ibanez Bass guitars.

Discography

"Icon" – Physical release date in Asia (Smash Hits 2009) 13 September 2009 "Icon" – single release date in Europe Digital 13 December 2009 ''Jayce Lewis'' – Full Album – Self-titled released 11 October 2010

References

Category:Welsh musicians Category:Living people Category:1978 births