Damon Albarn
 Vocals, guitar, keyboards

Born: March 23rd 1968, at Whitechapel Hospital in London, England
Family: Parents, Hazel and Keith Albarn, sister Jessica
Height: 5' 11" (approx. 180 cm)

Damon Albarn was born to a hippy family in Leytonstone, East London. His mother, Hazel Albarn worked as a stage designer for Joan Littlewood's theatre company at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in London and was working on Mrs Wilson's Diary just before Damon was born. Damon's father, an artist Keith Albarn was mainly involved in TV arts programming and was interested in designing and making modern furniture. He eventually became the manager of art jazz-rock group Soft Machine. Hazel Albarn came from Lincolnshire and Keith Albarn from Nottinghamshire. When they had met each other, they decided to move to London to experience its wide cultural-scene. When Damon was growing up, his parents listened mostly to old blues, Indian ragas and African music. Damon didn't apparently like much of them. His sister, Jessica (an artist, too) was born in 1971.

Damon was a relatively normal child. He was keen on football and his room was filled with the fossils. Since the age of six he has been wearing the glass beads, which he got from his mother. "They give me luck" he has later said. He was attending the George Thomlinson Primary School and at the later age moved to the Stanway Comprehensive School.

Ten years after Damon's birth Albarns moved to Colchester, Essex, where Keith Albarn had got a new job. Around the time of moving Damon was spending three months in Turkey with family friends. When he came back he began studying violin and piano and got interested in drama. Because of his unconventional background he was considered weird and vain and often got called "posh stroke gay" at Stanway Comprehensive. "I was weirdo", he recalls. At the time he was really keen on drama and took part in many school plays and quickly became one of the school's "stars". Damon was also interested in composing music and one of his compositions won a heat in the nationwide Young Composer of the Year competition. He has later claimed that classical composer Kurt Weill's music had a more effect on his musical development than any pop song writer.

At the age of 12 Damon met a year younger Graham Coxon. "Your brogues are crap, mate. Look, mine are the proper sort" were Damon's exact first words to Graham. They both liked The Jam, Human Leagune, XTC and Madness and soon became the best friends.

One of the first bands Damon was involved along with Graham was The Aftermath, which didn't get anywhere. The Aftermath's follower was Real Lives, where Damon was on the vocals and played the piano. The band made a few appearances in local pubs and clubs without any real success.

In the mid-eighties Damon lost his interest to music temporary, concentrated wholly in drama, and moved to Debden to study at the East 15 Drama School. After a year he thought he was "the worst actor in the world" and decided to go back home. At the time he was very depressed and having a bad time. He took a part-time music course at the Goldsmiths College in South London, where he met Graham again and worked as a barman in London's Portobello Hotel. Later, he worked at the Le Croissaint at Euston Station in London and soon after as a tea boy at the Beat Factory studio (owned by Graeme Holdaway) near Le Croissaint. At nights, he worked on his music at the studio.

With the help of the Beat Factory he got involved in an odd synth-band called Two's A Crowd with Sam Vamplew. After writing a few songs, Damon withdrew the band and joined Circus in 1988. Circus was formed initially by Damon's college friend Tom Aitkenhead and Eddie Deedigan, who quit the band later. Soon guitarist Graham Coxon, drummer Dave Rowntree and bassist Alex James were picked up to Circus. Due to Damon's accelerated musical development, Circus experienced many radical musical changes. The band evolved into Seymour, which later changed its name to Blur.

Until around 1998 Damon had a relationship with Elastica's Justine Frischmann. He is now involved with an artist Suzi Winstanley. On October 2, 1999, they got a baby, named Missy.

Source: 3862 Days by Stuart Maconie


 Besides Blur
 

Monkey: Journey To The West (2007-2008)

A Chinese modern opera featuring an eclectic score by Damon. The opera was premiered in Manchester in the summer of 2007, followed by performances in France and USA. An album based on the score was released in August 2008.


The Good, The Bad & The Queen (2007)

Damon was the frontman behind The Good, The Bad & The Queen, the London-themed album that was released in early 2007. He worked on the project with drummer Tony Allen, bassist Paul Simonon and guitarist Simon Tong.

Africa Express (2006-)

Africa Express is an unique collaboration project between African and Western musicians. The project intends to show Western musicians how rich the African music scene is. So far, there have been a couple of Africa Express shows around the UK and one in Nigeria. Western artists who have been involved in the project include Norman Cook, Magic Numbers, Franz Ferdinand and Hard-Fi.


 Democrazy (2003)

Damon released a low profile solo album called Democrazy in 2003 through his own 'world music' label Honest Jon's. The album was compiled of raw demos he recorded on a four track in hotel rooms during Blur's US tour in the same year.


 Mali Music (2002)

Mali Music, the album based on recordings Damon made whilst visiting Mali on a trip for Oxfam, was released in 2002 partly through Honest Jon's. A couple of years later, he visited Nigeria to make music with Tony Allen and his band members (the project evolved into The Good, The Bad & The Queen).


 Gorillaz (2000-)

Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett are the creators of the cartoon band Gorillaz. Damon writes the songs and provides vocals on the majority of them while Jamie directs the videos and draws the band. The band has been a huge success around the world selling over 15 million copies of their two studio albums, Gorillaz and Demon Days. As of November 2008, Damon is gathering ideas for the third Gorillaz studio album.


 Soundtracks

Damon has worked a lot on the movie soundtracks. He collaborated with classical composer Michael Nyman and recorded a soundtrack for Ravenous in 1998. A year later, he worked with with ex-Sugarcube Einar Örn Benediktsson on the soundtrack for 101 Reykjavik. He also wrote and recorded five tracks for Ordinary Decent Criminal and penned "Closet Romantic" for Trainspotting.


 Miscellaneous

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