Bryan Ferry

Birthday: 26 September 1945, Washington, Tyne and Wear, England, UK

Height: 186 cm

Son of a coal miner, Bryan Ferry cultivated his musical abilities while studying art at the University of Newcastle. In 1971, Ferry founded Roxy Music with, among others, composer and synthesizer player Brian Eno, who left in 1973. Ferry was Roxy's front man until its demise in 1983, but as Eno was leaving the band, Ferry released his first solo album, "These Foolish Things", which demonstrates a different approach of what he was doing at that time with Roxy Music: while the band jumped on the Glam Rock bandwagon, Ferry, in his solo efforts, showed a cool crooning style. But as Roxy Music evolved by the years, it became clear that Ferry's career with the band or as a solo artist was a whole. Although Roxy was very popular in UK, they had little impact in America: their best known hits on this side of the Atlantic were "Love Is the Drug" (1975), "Avalon" and "More Than This" (both in 1982). After Roxy Music disbanded, Ferry put emphasis on his solo career, releasing five albums after the Roxy years and keeping the same crooning style which became his trademark. His biggest solo hits include "Don't Stop The Dance" (1985) and "Kiss and Tell" (1988), which was featured in the motion picture Bright Lights, Big City (1988). Ferry's solo albums contain self-penned songs (Boys & Girls, Bête Noire, Mamouna) or covers (These Foolish Things, Taxi and As Time Goes By, his latest release). Show less «

I heard Dylan [Bob Dylan] when he first came out, and I remember seeing people wandering around with...Show more »

I heard Dylan [Bob Dylan] when he first came out, and I remember seeing people wandering around with his album under their arms. But at that time I wasn't into . . . folk music: "Oh, acoustic guitars?". It was not my thing. I was very much into Otis Redding, soul music, Stax, Motown. And guitars had to be electric for me, to be exciting. Show less «

[on Brian Eno] I'm much more serious than him. He loves to talk! He has to talk the talk. And I tend...Show more »

[on Brian Eno] I'm much more serious than him. He loves to talk! He has to talk the talk. And I tend to rather sit and watch more. That's where the main difference is. But we're both self-centered. I think we both think the world revolves around us. Show less «

[on recording Bob Dylan songs] As far as the words are concerned it's a bit like an actor tackling S...Show more »

[on recording Bob Dylan songs] As far as the words are concerned it's a bit like an actor tackling Shakespeare (William Shakespeare). I like finding the melodies that Dylan's hidden away in there. Show less «

[on Jimi Hendrix] He was the best guitar player and had a great look and a great attitude. I saw him...Show more »

[on Jimi Hendrix] He was the best guitar player and had a great look and a great attitude. I saw him play when I was a student. I was very impressed. Very influenced. Show less «

It's good to have layers in your life. If I'm in a limousine on the way to the airport, I still have...Show more »

It's good to have layers in your life. If I'm in a limousine on the way to the airport, I still haven't forgotten what it is like to stand in the rain at a north-eastern bus stop for hours. I do have memories of deprivation, but I don't carry them around like some bitter, left-wing hammer to beat people on the head with. The human experience is all about contrast. Show less «

The older I get the less I know about women. They are completely infallible and totally impossible.

Making music for a living is quite hard. With every album you have to reinvent the wheel, reinvent T...Show more »

Making music for a living is quite hard. With every album you have to reinvent the wheel, reinvent Tabasco or HP Sauce. You have to do it again and again and people are quite unforgiving if you don't do your best work. It's like exams. You're only as good as the last record. Show less «

[on his political beliefs] Never was anything really. Never really voted. Always lived in a huge maj...Show more »

[on his political beliefs] Never was anything really. Never really voted. Always lived in a huge majority where I don't think my vote would have made much difference. Where I was born it was a 23,000 Labour majority and now I live in a similar Tory majority. But yes, I am conservative by nature so it would be fair to say I was supporting them now. That said, I always felt politics and art don't mix very well. Show less «

[on recording cover versions of classic songs] I like my own lyrics, but I don't write as prolifical...Show more »

[on recording cover versions of classic songs] I like my own lyrics, but I don't write as prolifically as I would like to. So that's probably why I went into the whole world of interpretation. Show less «

You know, we were poor, and I thought I was poor, but in many ways my life was easy. My education wa...Show more »

You know, we were poor, and I thought I was poor, but in many ways my life was easy. My education was funded by the State, I went to a really nice northern grammar school, and then I went to university on a full grant. I was nurtured. I have nothing to kick against. Show less «

It's great to write stuff, but I think it's pretty universal that at a certain point, people write l...Show more »

It's great to write stuff, but I think it's pretty universal that at a certain point, people write less and less. And that's sad. Because I remember loving it when I found the right phrase to go with a piece of music. And I do that less and less. I haven't stopped writing, but it's just slower. Show less «

I think Eton's a fantastic school and every time I do an interview in England people are obsessed by...Show more »

I think Eton's a fantastic school and every time I do an interview in England people are obsessed by that, by class division, and I think it's a terrible thing. I came from a very poor family and I worked very hard and tried to make good work all my life. And there are certain rewards from doing things like that. I had a lot of determination, of course, and a little bit of talent and I made something of my life which was different from what I'd been born into. Show less «

I like quality things. Yes, I do have a vast wardrobe, but it's certainly not on the Elton John scal...Show more »

I like quality things. Yes, I do have a vast wardrobe, but it's certainly not on the Elton John scale. Show less «

[on playing Live Aid (1985)] I have terrible memories of it all going wrong. I'd put together an all...Show more »

[on playing Live Aid (1985)] I have terrible memories of it all going wrong. I'd put together an all-star band and the set was fraught with problems. We had David Gilmour on guitar and, poor David, his guitar wasn't working for the first couple of songs. With his first hit, the drummer put his stick through the drum skin. And then my microphone wasn't working, which for a singer is a bit of a handicap. A roadie ran on with another mic so then I was holding two mics taped together and I wasn't really sure which one to sing into. It was a great day though. Show less «

[on T.S. Eliot] When I started reading Eliot, I really felt incredibly close to some of the things I...Show more »

[on T.S. Eliot] When I started reading Eliot, I really felt incredibly close to some of the things I read. I could feel this. It's fabulous when you do that, when you discover somebody who you like, when you kind of feel those feelings, even though he articulates them better. He would probably be my favorite poet. Some of it is really beautiful and sad, haunting. Words can be very powerful. I find them very difficult. Show less «

Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry's FILMOGRAPHY

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