15 Facts About Jimmy Somerville

James William Somerville was born on 22 June 1961 and is a singer from Glasgow, Scotland, who rose to prominence in the 1980s with the synth-pop groups Bronski Beat and the Communards.

Bronski Beat's debut album The Age of Consent was the only release Jimmy Somerville contributed to as lead vocalist before leaving the band in 1985 and joining The Communards.

Jimmy Somerville immersed himself in gay culture, and attended the London Gay Teenage Group.

In 1983, Jimmy Somerville co-founded the synth-pop group Bronski Beat, which had several hits in the British charts.

The single was accompanied by a promotional video directed by Bernard Rose, showing Jimmy Somerville trying to befriend an attractive diver at a swimming pool, then being attacked by the diver's homophobic associates, being returned to his family by the police and having to leave home.

Jimmy Somerville left Bronski Beat in 1985 and formed The Communards with classically-trained pianist Richard Coles, who later became a Church of England vicar and broadcaster.

Jimmy Somerville sang backing vocals on Fine Young Cannibals' version of "Suspicious Minds", which was a UK Top 10 hit.

The Communards split in 1988; Jimmy Somerville began a solo career the following year.

Jimmy Somerville sang on the second Band Aid project at the end of 1989.

Also in 1990, Jimmy Somerville contributed the song "From This Moment On" to the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Hot Organization, the proceeds from which benefited AIDS research.

Jimmy Somerville's dance-orientated fourth solo album, Home Again, was released in 2004, again not charting.

In late 2010, Jimmy Somerville released a dance EP called Bright Thing.

The emphasis in recording the album was on achieving the musical authenticity of original disco which Jimmy Somerville grew up listening to.

Jimmy Somerville has had an acting career, appearing in Sally Potter's 1992 film of Virginia Woolf's Orlando, in Isaac Julien's 1989 Looking for Langston, and in an episode of the cult science fiction television series Lexx.

In February 2021, Jimmy Somerville teamed up with producer Sally Herbert to record a cover of "Everything Must Change" by Benard Ighner as a charity record for End Youth Homelessness, a network of projects which includes Centrepoint in London and a number of other homeless charity organisations around the UK.