By mid-1984, the band were ready for a break. Each album release was accompanied by heavy media promotion and a lengthy concert tour. Three more albums followed in quick succession: Rio (1982), Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983) and the live album Arena (1984). The band's first album, Duran Duran, was released in 1981, and they quickly became famous as part of the New Romantic movement. Le Bon agreed to "try out for the summer" within six weeks the band was playing steadily around Birmingham, London and Nottingham, and a national tour supporting Hazel O'Connor led to a record deal with EMI Records in December that year. Īfter listening to the songs the band had already composed together, Le Bon spent some time fitting one of his poems ("Sound of Thunder") to one of the instrumentals, and found they had a good match. As band legend has it, he turned up for the audition wearing pink leopard-print trousers, and carrying a notebook containing a large collection of poems he had written-several of which would later become tracks on the early Duran Duran albums. Le Bon's ex-girlfriend, Fiona Kemp (a barmaid at the Rum Runner nightclub where Duran Duran were rehearsing), introduced him to the band in May 1980, recommending him as a potential vocalist. The band had a powerful pop sound flavoured with disco, funk and electronics, built on a solid rock rhythm section, and all they needed was a charismatic singer with a distinctive voice. The band went through a long succession of lineup changes after Duffy's departure, but finally settled on a guitarist and drummer. Career Duran Duranĭuran Duran was founded by childhood friends John Taylor and Nick Rhodes along with singer/songwriter Stephen Duffy in 1978, but Duffy left a year later, convinced they weren't going anywhere. Le Bon worked on a kibbutz – an Israeli collective community – in the Negev desert in Israel in 1978, and then returned to England to study drama at the University of Birmingham before meeting the fledgling band Duran Duran in 1980. He appeared in a few television commercials and also in several theatre productions including Tom Brown's Schooldays in the West End of London. He worked as a theatre porter at Northwick Park Hospital Accident and Casualty, and also auditioned for a punk band at Harrow College.
He also attended Nower Hill High School, the same school his mother attended. Simon Le Bon went to Pinner County Grammar School, the same school that Elton John attended some years earlier. He was a member of the local church choir from a young age, but was also trained as an actor.
#MARK RONSON FEAT SIMON LE BON AND WILEY RECORD COLLECTION TV#
His mother encouraged his artistic talent when he was six years old by entering him in a screen test for a Persil washing powder TV advert.
Simon John Charles Le Bon was the first-born son of John and Ann-Marie Le Bon, of Huguenot descent, followed by his younger brothers, David and Jonathan. Le Bon has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Simon John Charles Le Bon (born 27 October 1958) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and lyricist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.
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