Marc Almond

• Website: www.marcalmond.co.uk

Marc Almond has led a life full of successes yet littered with obstacles. He left school at 17 following a childhood plagued with illness and learning difficulties. With no qualifications, he worked in a Southport theatre and the fairground, before going to art college. At Leeds Polytechnic he met David Ball and together they formed the electro outfit Soft Cell in 1979. The single Tainted Love broke records for the longest time in the US billboard top 100, and spawned a slew of covers. In 1984 the duo parted ways, and Almond went on to form Marc And The Mambas before exploring music as a solo artist. Releasing over a dozen albums the troubadour poured his soul into his work, giving a melancholic quality to the songs. Though Almond did write his own material he much preferred to use the music of others, especially that of Jacques Brel. He proved so skillful that the estate of Brel named him as the best living interpreter of the singer's work. Almond moved to Russia in 2000, and incorporated the musical traditions of the country into his own sound. Upon returning to the UK he was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle crash that left him in a coma. After recovering he had to learn to sing again, and though the path was a difficult one he eventually regained his strength and returned to music.

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