Brett Anderson

Brett Anderson (born September 29, 1967) is a singer-songwriter, and former lead vocalist for British indie band Suede. He currently fronts a new band, The Tears.

Related Topics:
September 29 - 1967 - Singer-songwriter - British - Indie - Suede - The Tears

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Born in Haywards Heath, England, Anderson was named after the character Lord Brett Sinclair from the TV series The Persuaders!. Anderson spent much of his childhood playing sports but fantasized about becoming a rock star.

Related Topics:
Haywards Heath - England - TV - The Persuaders!

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In his teens, Anderson played guitar for garage bands such as The Pigs and Geoff, the latter featuring future Suede bassist Mat Osman. Anderson then formed Suede with Osman and guitarists Bernard Butler and Justine Frischmann, Anderson's girlfriend. Drummer Simon Gilbert joined Suede in 1991, but Frischmann quit the group a year later to front Elastica. Frischmann also left Anderson for Blur frontman Damon Albarn, which created an early rift in the burgeoning Britpop scene of the early 1990s.

Related Topics:
The Pigs - Geoff - Mat Osman - Suede - Bernard Butler - Justine Frischmann - Simon Gilbert - 1991 - Elastica - Blur - Damon Albarn - Britpop - 1990s

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Even before Suede's first album appeared in stores, Anderson's vague confessions about his sexuality stirred controversy in the British music press. In 1993, Suede hit number one on the UK charts. Combining Morrissey's homoerotic posturing with David Bowie's glam theatrics, Anderson achieved instant fame in the UK. America, however, was still spellbound by the grunge revolution and Anderson's melancholy, over-the-top vocals clashed with the raw anger of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Although the departure of songwriting partner Butler in 1994 during the recording of second album Dog Man Star led many to fear Suede's eventual demise, the band continued to release critically and commercially successful material in the UK, such as 1996's critically-acclaimed Coming Up.

Related Topics:
1993 - Morrissey - David Bowie - Grunge - Nirvana - Kurt Cobain - Pearl Jam - Eddie Vedder - 1994 - 1996 - Coming Up

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Coming Up proved to be a last high point, Anderson's well-publicised problems with heroin addiction put the band on hiatus in the late 1990s. After releasing two further, less successful, albums, Head Music in 1999 and A new morning in 2002 Suede broke up in 2003. Anderson has since resolved his differences with Bernard Butler and the two formed a new band, The Tears who have had a recent top ten single Refugees.

Related Topics:
Heroin - 2003 - The Tears

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