Martin Fry

Martin David Fry (born 9 March 1958)[4] is an English singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and record producer.

Martin Fry
Fry performing live at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, 2017
Background information
Birth nameMartin David Fry
Born (1958-03-09) 9 March 1958
Stretford, Lancashire, England
OriginBramhall, Stockport, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • musician
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • synthesizer
  • keyboards
Years active1980–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websiteabcmartinfry.com

Fry's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the early 1980s as co-founder and lead singer of the pop band ABC, which released six singles that entered the Top 20 charts in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, including "Tears Are Not Enough", "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love", "All of My Heart", "That Was Then but This Is Now" and "When Smokey Sings". He is the only member who has been with ABC throughout its entire history and is currently its only official member.

Early years

Martin David Fry was born on 9 March 1958 in Stretford, Lancashire (now part of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester) and grew up in nearby Bramhall, Stockport, alongside his younger brother Jamie, who later went on to join the indie rock band Earl Brutus.[5] Fry was editing a fanzine titled Modern Drugs in 1978, and first met future ABC band members Mark White and Stephen Singleton while interviewing them for an article in the fanzine. White and Singleton, then fronting an electronic band called Vice Versa, invited Fry to join their band to play additional keyboards.[6]

ABC
Main article: ABC (band)

With Fry in place as lead singer and lyricist, Vice Versa changed their name to ABC and changed their sound to a contemporary pop style that at that time led them to be categorised with bands like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and the Human League.[6] Between 1982 and 1991, ABC recorded six studio albums (The Lexicon of Love, Beauty Stab, How to Be a ... Zillionaire!, Alphabet City, Up and Abracadabra) and released a greatest hits compilation album, Absolutely. During this time, the band went through numerous personnel changes, with Fry and Mark White being its only permanent members.

Following the Zillionaire album, ABC temporarily fell from prominence while Fry was being treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma, an uncommon cancer.[7]

ABC disbanded in 1991, with White retiring from music to pursue an interest in Reiki therapy. Fry continued to work with EMI in the months thereafter but was axed from the label before his solo material could be released. Fry resurrected the ABC name in 1997 for the album Skyscraping, a homage to several of his musical heroes, including David Bowie, Roxy Music and the Sex Pistols.[8] The album was a collaboration with Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 and Honeyroot's Keith Lowndes.

The band has toured extensively and performed live at events such as the 2001 Night of the Proms, where Fry was supported by a 72-piece orchestra and 50-piece choir.[9] In 2008, Fry released a new ABC album titled Traffic.

In April 2009, Fry and original drummer David Palmer performed The Lexicon of Love album live at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The band was accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra. Anne Dudley of Art of Noise fame, who arranged and played keyboards on the original record, conducted the Royal Albert Hall performance.[8]

Fry and Palmer (as ABC) toured the U.S. as part of the 2009 'Regeneration Tour',[10] which also featured Terri Nunn of Berlin, Wang Chung and the Cutting Crew.

In April 2016, a single with a music video "Viva Love" was released as a teaser for The Lexicon of Love II album. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 5, the band's highest chart position since 1982 and first Top 10 entry since 1990.

Other work

Besides working with ABC, Fry has also recorded and toured with other artists.[11]

Fry (left) and Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley (right) performing live, 2005
  • In 1989, Fry recorded a song called "Mythical Girl" with Arthur Baker for Baker's album Merge, a project that included songs with various artists, including Love Is the Message featuring Al Green.
  • Together with Mark White, Fry co-wrote and produced a couple of songs on Paul Rutherford's 1989 solo album Oh World, including the single "Get Real".
  • In 1997, Fry contributed to David Arnold's Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project, an album made up of re-recordings of James Bond movie themes featuring vocals by contemporary artists. The song Fry performed was the theme of Thunderball
  • In 2005, Fry embarked on an extensive UK tour with Tony Hadley, former lead singer of popular 1980s new wave band Spandau Ballet. Highlights of the tour were released on CD and DVD compilations, both titled Tony Hadley vs. Martin Fry. The DVD is available in Europe, but has yet to be released in NTSC format.
  • Fry, Tony Hadley and Richard Drummie of Go West fame, together with manager John Glover, went on a trek to The Lost World in Venezuela in February 2006.
  • Fry appeared in the BBC Television program Just the Two of Us in 2006. This was a reality television competition in the style of Strictly Come Dancing, but this time with contestants (one celebrity being a famous singer, the other celeb being a novice) judged upon their singing skills as part of a duet. He was teamed with TV presenter Gaby Roslin and they were eliminated in the first show after battling the team of Nicky Campbell and Beverley Knight.
  • Fry was featured extensively in the 2006 VH1 mini-series 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's. When asked, Fry revealed that he hoped ABC's 1982 single "The Look of Love" would land a coveted slot in the Top 10. Despite his wish, the song was ranked No. 43.
  • Fry worked on several songs for the 2007 movie Music and Lyrics starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Fry also served as Grant's vocal coach for the movie.[12]
  • Fry has a track called "New Man" on the Sonic Hub Eye of the Storm debut album. The song features a section of "Cars" by Gary Numan.
  • Fry toured the U.S. in the summer of 2008 with the Regeneration Tour 2008, a show that also featured the Human League as the headliners, Belinda Carlisle, A Flock of Seagulls, and Naked Eyes.

Personal life

On 19 July 2012, Fry received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University of Sheffield for his contribution of more than 30 years to music. The following day, his daughter, Nancy received her degree from the Department of Sociological Studies from the same University.[13]. Has two younger brothers, Jamie and Crispin.

As of 2016, he has been married to his wife Julie for more than 30 years.[14]

Discography

ABC

Main article: ABC discography
Year Album
1982 The Lexicon of Love
1983 Beauty Stab
1985 How to Be a ... Zillionaire!
1987 Alphabet City
1989 Up
1991 Abracadabra
1997 Skyscraping
2008 Traffic
2016 The Lexicon of Love II

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ABC – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  2. "Stylus Magazine". Stylusmagazine.com.
  3. "Alphabet City - ABC | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  4. Paul Lester (15 November 2008). "Steel crazy: The Human League, ABC, Heaven 17". Living.Scotsman.com. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  5. Frame, Pete. Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland. Omnibus, 1999. ISBN 0-7119-6973-6, ISBN 978-0-7119-6973-5. BRAMHALL ABC's Martin Fry and his younger brother Jamie (currently in Earl Brutus) grew up in this leafy middle-class suburb.
  6. Power, Ed (27 June 2013). "ABC's Martin Fry regrets not capitalising on early success". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  7. Fulton, Rick (16 May 2014). "ABC star Martin Fry gets ready to rock on 80s revival circuit at Rewind Festival". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  8. "Lexicon of ABC". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  9. "ABC". Archived from the original on 2 December 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  10. "Regeneration". Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  11. "Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  12. "ABC's Fry Is Hugh Grant's New Vocal Coach". Billboard. 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  13. University of Sheffield. "ABC singer takes centre stage in honorary degree ceremonies". University of Sheffield.
  14. "Radio Devon - Listen Live - BBC Sounds". Bbc.co.uk.
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