25 Facts About Michael Dempsey

Michael Stephen Dempsey was born on 29 November 1958 and is an English musician and composer, who has played bass as a member of several post-punk and new wave bands, including the Cure and the Associates.

Michael Dempsey moved to Salfords in Surrey, England in 1961, and attended Salfords County School from 1963 to 1970.

Michael Dempsey then went to Notre Dame Middle School between 1970 and 1972, where he met Robert Smith, Marc Ceccagno and Lol Tolhurst.

Michael Dempsey later attended Saint Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, and Crawley College from 1976 to 1978.

In January 1976 Michael Dempsey became a co-founding member of Malice, along with Smith, Ceccagno, and others.

Michael Dempsey appeared as bassist on the Cure's singles "Killing an Arab" and "Boys Don't Cry" and on their 1979 studio album Three Imaginary Boys.

Michael Dempsey sang the cover version of the Jimi Hendrix song "Foxy Lady", which appears on Three Imaginary Boys.

Michael Dempsey made his final live performance as a member of the Cure on 15 October 1979 at London's Hammersmith Odeon on the last night of the Cure's tour in support of Siouxsie and the Banshees.

In 1986, Michael Dempsey appeared in the music video for a new version of "Boys Don't Cry".

Michael Dempsey appears on some tracks on the deluxe edition of Seventeen Seconds.

Michael Dempsey had already performed with the Associates prior to leaving the Cure, but made his debut as their new full-time bassist on 16 November 1979 at Eric's Club in Liverpool; the first night of the Future Pastimes Tour; a "Fiction Records Package" tour featuring the Cure, the Passions and the Associates.

Michael Dempsey remained the Associates' bassist from 1979 to 1983, appearing on the albums Fourth Drawer Down and Sulk along with a number of singles between 1980 and 1983.

Michael Dempsey has since then been responsible for making available archival Associates materials such as rare tracks and other media via his own media company.

Michael Dempsey played bass in the video for English band Roxy Music's hit single "Avalon".

In 1983 Michael Dempsey became the bassist for Liverpool's then-recently formed new wave band the Lotus Eaters, replacing original bassist Phil Lucking.

In 1998, Michael Dempsey composed music for the animated TV series PB Bear and Friends.

Michael Dempsey worked on several shorts, including films by the animator Gil Alkabetz, and animator Carolina Lopez for her graduate film Swan Song at what is the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham.

In 2008 Michael Dempsey produced Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother concerts at the Cadogan Hall, London.

Michael Dempsey received co-writing credit for "Amazed", a B-side from "All I See", but took a background role as a session bassist and did not appear in the band's photos or press.

Michael Dempsey received co-writing credits for another two tracks on the 1993 debut album Inside.

In 2004 Michael Dempsey said that he still worked regularly with Tolhurst and that he had some contact with Thompson, but had not spoken to Smith in many years.

In 2007 Michael Dempsey remixed Tolhurst's post-Presence project Levinhurst, contributing the "Imaginary Boy Mix" of the track "Never Going to Dream Again" to Levinhurst's The Grey EP.

Since the 1990s Michael Dempsey has gone on to work in audio digital restoration, remastering, licensing, media content consultancy and original soundtracks for film, television and other media.

Michael Dempsey's clients have included Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and V2 Records and he has his own company, MDM Media, specialising in these areas.

Michael Dempsey is part of an affiliate company, BDM Music, whose other writers include Tolhurst, Rankine and many other musicians, composers and producers that Dempsey has worked with over the years.