Damon Albarn
Albarn with The Good, the Bad, and the Queen at Eurockéennes, Belfort, July 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Damon Albarn
Born	March 23, 1968 (1968-03-23) (age 39)
Origin	London, England
Genre(s)	Alternative Rock, Britpop, Electronica, Progressive Rock, Alternative Hip Hop, World Music
Occupation(s)	Musician, Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Violin, Recorder, Vibraphone, Synthesizer, Melodica
Years active	1988 - present
Associated acts	Blur Gorillaz The Good, the Bad and the Queen
Website	Blur Gorillaz The Good, The Bad And The Queen

Damon Albarn, (born March 23, 1968 in Leytonstone, London), is an English singer-songwriter who gained fame as the lead singer and keyboard player of rock band Blur. Though Blur has not disbanded, of late Albarn has been more active as the main man behind the music of Gorillaz and The Good, the Bad and the Queen project. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (4368 × 2912 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band released in January 2007. ... The Eurockéennes de Belfort is one of Frances largest rock music festivals. ... Belfort is a town and commune of northeastern France, préfecture (capital) of the Territoire de Belfort département in the Franche-Comté région. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Britpop was a mid-1990s British alternative rock genre and movement. ... Electronica refers to a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; but unlike electronic dance music, is not specifically focused on the dance floor. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a genre that is defined in greatly varying ways. ... World music is, most generally, all the music in the world. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes — whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... A typical vibraphone. ... For other uses, see Synthesizer (disambiguation). ... A Hohner melodica The melodica is a free-reed instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... For the Gorillazs self-titled debut album, see Gorillaz (album). ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn released in January 2007. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Leytonstone is a place in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, in East London, England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... For the Gorillazs self-titled debut album, see Gorillaz (album). ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn released in January 2007. ...

Early years

Damon Albarn was born to a hippie 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. Albarn then attended Stanway Comprehensive School. He met future Blur guitarist Graham Coxon at school and found they both liked similar bands, such as The Jam, The Kinks, and The Human League. , Leytonstone is a place in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, in East London, England. ... East London area East London is the name commonly given to the north eastern part of London, England on the north side of the River Thames. ... Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 - 20 September 2002) was a theatrical director, famous for her work in developing the left-wing Theatre Workshop. ... The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford, London, which opened in 1884. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... For the UK band, see Furniture (band). ... For the book by William S. Burroughs, see The Soft Machine. ... For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... Graham Coxon singing in the video to Blurs Tender Graham Coxon (born Graham Leslie Coxon on 12 March 1969, in Rinteln, West Germany) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the former guitarist in the rock band Blur. ... The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... The Human League are an award winning, Grammy nominated British synthpop/New Wave band formed in 1977 who, after a key change in line up, achieved great popularity in the 1980s. ...

Damon was a relatively normal child. He was keen on football and his room was filled with fossils. From the age of 6 he wore 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 the 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. Soccer redirects here. ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ... This article is about the town in England. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900 – April 3, 1950), born in Dessau, Germany and died in New York City, was a German and in his later years, a German-American composer active from the 1920s until his death. ...

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 League, XTC and Madness and soon became the best friends. Graham Coxon singing in the video to Blurs Tender Graham Coxon (born Graham Leslie Coxon on 12 March 1969, in Rinteln, West Germany) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the former guitarist in the rock band Blur. ... The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... The Human League are an English synthpop band formed in 1977, who, after several changes in line up, achieved great popularity in the 1980s and a limited comeback in the mid-1990s. ... XTC are an influential new wave band from Swindon, England. ... Look up madness in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

After finishing secondary school, Albarn moved to London to attend the East 15 Acting School, losing contact with Coxon. He concluded after one year's stay that he was a terrible actor (although later went on to star in the 1997 film Face) and instead took up writing and performing music. Some of the songs he wrote in his early recording days later became Blur songs, such as "Birthday" on their debut album, Leisure. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... East 15 is a professional acting school in Loughton, Essex. ... Graham Coxon singing in the video to Blurs Tender Graham Coxon (born Graham Leslie Coxon on 12 March 1969, in Rinteln, West Germany) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the former guitarist in the rock band Blur. ... Face (1997). ... Leisure is the debut album by Blur, released in August 1991 and making # 7 in the UK. The US version of the album had some differences. ...

Blur

In 1988, Albarn enrolled at Goldsmiths College in New Cross, London, England; he took a part-time course which he claims he did "just to get on campus". There, he met up with Coxon once more. After recording a number of demo tapes together, the two formed "Circus," at which point Coxon introduced Albarn to Alex James. With the addition of Dave Rowntree, the band began playing as "Seymour". Before long the band was signed to Food Records and changed its name to Blur. Goldsmiths College (founded in 1891 by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths as Goldsmiths Technical and Recreative Institute) has been a part of the federal University of London since 1904, when it took its current name. ... , New Cross is a district on the north tip of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... Alex James (born Steven Alexander James, 21 November 1968, in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, England) is the bass player in the band Blur, and one of the members of Fat Les. ... Dave Rowntree (born David Rowntree on 8 May 1964, in Colchester, Essex, England) is best known as the drummer in the band Blur. ... Food Records is the record label of Blur, Jesus Jones and Dubstar. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ...

Albarn and Blur gained commercial and critical success on the back of 1994s Parklife, and Albarn became one of the leading lights in the Britpop movement. However, their success also lay partly in a well documented feud with fellow Britpop band Oasis. Though at the 1995 BRIT Awards Albarn had announced he thought Blur's "Best Band" award should be shared with Oasis, by mid 1995 relations had soured. The differing styles of the bands, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the rivalry between the bands, and Albarn, along with Alex James, exchanged insults with Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher through the press. Noel Gallagher courted controversy, telling The Observer that he hoped Albarn and Alex James would "catch AIDS and die".^[1] Parklife is a Britpop album by the band Blur, released on April 25, 1994 (see 1994 in music). ... Britpop was a mid-1990s British alternative rock genre and movement. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991, led by lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, lead vocalist and songwriter Liam Gallagher. ... The Brit Awards are the annual United Kingdom pop music awards founded by the British Phonographic Industry. ... Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Longsight, Manchester, England) is an English songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist with the Manchester rock band Oasis. ... Liam Gallagher (born William John Paul Gallagher on September 21, 1972, Burnage, Manchester, England) is an English singer and tambourine player of the band Oasis. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ...

The rivalry culminated in the so-called "Battle of Britpop" which saw Blur move the release date of their single "Country House" to coincide with the release of Oasis "Roll With It". This sparked a media frenzy, with Albarn being interviewed on the BBC 10 O`clock News. The Battle of Britpop is the unofficial title given to the chart battle of 1995 which took place between leading Britpop groups, Blur and Oasis. ... A country house is a large dwelling, such as a mansion, located on a country estate. ... Roll With It is a song by British rock band Oasis written by their lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. ...

Albarn has suggested the roots of the feud were personal, while Gallagher claims that the rivalry was conceived by the magazine NME and members of Blur's entourage as a ploy to raise their respective profiles on the back of Oasis' success.^[2] Albarn is now reluctant to talk about the feud.^[3] For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ...

As of 2008 Blur has released seven full-length albums, five of which went to #1 in the United Kingdom and all of which reached the top 15. Albarn has written the lyrics to nearly every song released by the band since their formation. He had publicly stated he was waiting for the return of Graham Coxon, who left the band prior to the release of Think Tank, to produce more Blur material; however, Coxon has refused to return, and Albarn stated in September 2005 that he will play guitar on the next Blur record. Albarn Quoted, "If Coxon won't return then I'll be playing guitar but it'll just be fast, punk songs. Why don't I get another guitarist? Because there's none better than Coxon." Think Tank is the seventh studio album by English rock band Blur, released on May 5, 2003 in the United Kingdom and on May 6 in the United States. ...

As of 2008 All Blur members, including Graham Coxon, are amicable, but do not see the need for immediate studio plans in the near future.

Gorillaz

Main article: Gorillaz

Albarn formed the virtual cartoon rock band Gorillaz with Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett in 1998. With an ambiguous line-up, the group has released two full-length studio albums to date. Their music has featured contributions from Dan the Automator, Danger Mouse, Simon Tong (who also played guitar for Blur in live performances and played guitar in Albarn's The Good, The Bad & The Queen project), Miho Hatori, Sweetie Irie, De La Soul, Bootie Brown, MF Doom, Redman, Tina Weymouth, Chris Franz, Roots Manuva, Neneh Cherry, Rosie Wilson, D12, Martina Topley-Bird, Dennis Hopper, Ike Turner, Shaun Ryder and Del tha Funkee Homosapien among others. For the Gorillazs self-titled debut album, see Gorillaz (album). ... For the Gorillazs self-titled debut album, see Gorillaz (album). ... cover art to Tank Girl: The Odyssey Tank Girl is a British comic character written by Alan Martin and originally drawn by Jamie Hewlett; currently by Ashley Wood. ... Jamie Hewlett is joint creator of Tank Girl and a member of Gorillaz. ... Dan the Automator Connell (born Daniel Connell in San Francisco, California in 1967) is an American hip-hop and rap producer most known for his work in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s. ... Brian Joseph Burton, better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American artist and producer. ... Simon Tong a British a musican, a school friend of Richard Ashcroft, Simon Jones and Peter Salisbury played with the The Verve on Urban Hymns and replaced Nick McCabe. ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn released in January 2007. ... Miho Hatori Miho Hatori (b. ... At the age of eighteen, Sweetie Irie signed a solo record deal with Island records, releasing a number of tracks such as, ”Money Honey”, ”On & On” ( with Aswad), ”Margar Man” and ”New Talk” ( with Jo 90 ). Through his music Sweetie has travelled the world performing at events such as Jamaican... De La Soul is a Grammy-award winning hip hop group from Long Island, New York. ... Bootie Brown (real name Romye Robinson) is a West Coast Rapper who was one of the founding members of the innovative rap group, The Pharcyde. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Reginald Reggie Noble (born April 17, 1970), better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper. ... Tina Weymouth A founding member of the influential New Wave group Talking Heads, was born Martina Michéle Weymouth on November 22, 1950 in Coronado, California. ... Chris Franz was the drummer for the seminal New York new wave band, Talking Heads. ... Roots Manuva (born Rodney Smith in Stockwell, South London, 1972) is a rapper. ... Neneh Cherry performing live in Vienna (ca. ... D12 (also known as D-12, The Dirty Dozen, D-Twizzy and Detroit-Twelve) is an American hip-hop group from Detroit, Michigan, which has had albums reach the top of the American, British, and Australian album charts: Devils Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004. ... Martina Topley-Bird is a British vocalist, who worked with trip hop pioneer Tricky on several albums, from Maxinquaye up through Angels with Dirty Faces. ... Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and film-maker. ... Izear Luster Turner (born November 5, 1931) is an African American musician (piano, guitar), bandleader, talent scout and record producer, best known for his work with his former wife Tina Turner. ... Shaun Ryder (aka X) (born Shaun William Ryder on August 23, 1962, in Little Hulton, near Salford, Lancashire) is an English singer and songwriter and an ex postman who became famous in the Madchester era band Happy Mondays. ... Del the Funky Homosapien, also known as Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Deltron Zero, is an alternative hip hop artist. ...

Gorillaz and Demon Days have done well in both the U.S. and the UK, as well as hit singles "Clint Eastwood", "Feel Good Inc." ,"19-2000", "DARE", "Dirty Harry" and "Kids With Guns / El Mañana". Gorillaz is the eponymous debut album by Gorillaz, released in March 2001. ... Demon Days is the second studio album and a concept album[1] by Gorillaz, released on May 23, 2005 in the UK and on May 24 in the U.S.. Demon Days entered the UK charts at #1 and the US charts at #6, neatly outperforming the bands 2001... The character voiced by Del in the Clint Eastwood video, note that this is the only time he appears with some of his teeth missing. ... Feel Good Inc. ... 19-2000 (sometimes written 19/2000) is a song from the Gorillaz self-titled debut album, Gorillaz. ... DARE (挑戦 (DARE) on the single packaging) is a song by Gorillaz and is featured on their 2005 album Demon Days. ... Dirty Harry is the third single from Gorillaz second album Demon Days, released November 21, 2005. ... Kids With Guns and El Mañana are songs from the Gorillaz second album, Demon Days. ...

Noel Gallagher initially mocked Albarn's work with Gorillaz, stating that "He always was a cartoon". Gorillaz' Demon Days subsequently outsold Oasis's 2005 release Don't Believe the Truth, which has to date only received Gold certification in the U.S., and Triple Platinum in the UK (Demon Days is Double Platinum and 5 times platinum in U.S. and UK respectively).^[4] Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Longsight, Manchester, England) is an English songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist with the Manchester rock band Oasis. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with RIAA certification. ...

Solo career

Albarn released Mali Music in 2002, recorded in Mali, during a trip he made to support Oxfam in 2000. He has also visited Nigeria to record music with African drummer Tony Allen. Albarn says he would like to produce a Blur album in Baghdad as he "likes the Iraqi style of music". Mali Music is a 2002 album by Britpop musician Damon Albarn in collaboration with Malian musicians Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabate & Friends, and also featuring a cameo from Ko Kan Ko Sata. ... Oxfam International logo Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. ... Tony Oladipo Allen (born August 12, 1940 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

He also released Democrazy in 2003, a collection of demos he recorded while staying in hotel rooms on the U.S. portion of Blur's tour for Think Tank. Democrazy is a 2003 vinyl-only release by Damon Albarn, frontman of British rock band Blur and the animated group Gorillaz. ...

Albarn has also appeared on other unrelated works. His song "Closet Romantic" appeared on the soundtrack for Trainspotting alongside an early Blur recording, "Sing". Fatboy Slim's 2004 release Palookaville featured Albarn's vocals on the song "Put It Back Together". Albarn provided the voiceover intro and backing vocals in the song "Time Keeps On Slipping" for the rap concept album Deltron 3030, and featured on the track "Lovage (Love That Lovage, Baby)" for the Lovage album Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By. Both albums were produced by Dan the Automator, who also produced Gorillaz' debut album. Albarn also composed the score with collaboration by Michael Nyman for the 1999 movie "Ravenous" with Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle. In 2000, he composed the main part of the soundtrack for the crime comedy Ordinary Decent Criminal. Trainspotting is a 1996 Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning cult classic film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. ... Sing (To Me) is an early song of the british band Blur. ... FatBoy Slim (born Quentin Leo Cook on July 31, 1963,[1] also known as Norman Cook) is a British big beat musician. ... Palookaville: Palookaville was a concert venue in Santa Cruz, CA opened by Michael Horne. ... In popular music, a concept album is an album which is unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical (Shuker 2002, p. ... Deltron 3030 is a supergroup of hip hop artists, composed primarily of producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala, all of whom also worked on the Gorillaz self titled debut album. ... Mike Patton, Jennifer Charles & Dan the Automator For other uses, see Lovage (disambiguation). ... Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By is the debut album of Lovage, released in 2001. ... Dan the Automator Connell (born Daniel Connell in San Francisco, California in 1967) is an American hip-hop and rap producer most known for his work in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s. ... This article is about the composer/musician Michael Nyman. ... For the record label, see Ravenous Records. ... Guy Pearce in Memento (2000). ... Robert Carlyle OBE (born April 14, 1961) is an acclaimed Scottish film actor best known for his performances as psychopaths or killers. ... Ordinary Decent Criminal is a 2000 crime/comedy film, directed by Thaddeus OSullivan, adapted from a novel by Lionel Shriver. ...

During October 2007 Q Magazine released a 21st birthday special. Inside featured the "21 Artists who Changed Music" with 8 pages dedicated to Damon Albarn inside for his work in Blur, Gorillaz and The Good the Bad and the Queen. Within the article, Albarn expressed an interest in releasing a solo record under his own name comprised of romantic songs.

The Good, the Bad and the Queen

In May 2006, NME reported that Albarn was working with Danger Mouse on his first solo album, tentatively titled The Good, the Bad and the Queen. However, in July 2006, NME reported that those plans had been switched to the formation of a new band titled The Good, the Bad and the Queen. This proved to be inaccurate, as Albarn and other members of the group have indicated that The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the name of the album and not the band itself (which will remain unnamed).^[5][6][7] Brian Joseph Burton, better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American artist and producer. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn released in January 2007. ...

The album was awarded Best Album at the 2007 Mojo Awards on 18 June. ^[8] is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The group's line-up is composed of Albarn, former Clash bassist Paul Simonon, The Verve/Blur/Gorillaz guitarist Simon Tong, and drummer Tony Allen of Fela Kuti's band, Africa 70; Danger Mouse produced the album and decided on the final track listing. This article is about the English rock band. ... Paul Simonon (born December 15, 1955 in Brixton, London, England) is best known as the bass guitarist and vocalist for punk rock band The Clash. ... Not to be confused with The Verve Pipe. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... For the Gorillazs self-titled debut album, see Gorillaz (album). ... Simon Tong a British a musican, a school friend of Richard Ashcroft, Simon Jones and Peter Salisbury played with the The Verve on Urban Hymns and replaced Nick McCabe. ... Tony Oladipo Allen (born August 12, 1940 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter. ... Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick. ... Africa 70 was the afrobeat entourage orchestrated by Fela Kuti throughout most of the 1970s. ... Brian Joseph Burton, better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American artist and producer. ...

The first single by the line-up, "Herculean", was released in late October 2006, and peaked at #22 in the UK Singles Chart. A second single, "Kingdom of Doom", and the band's debut album were then released in January 2007. That single fared slightly better than "Herculean", peaking at #20, while the album peaked at #2 in the UK Albums Chart and went gold during its first week of release in the UK. "Green Fields" was released as the third single from the album in April 2007, just missing out on the Top 50. Herculean is the forthcoming debut single by Damon Albarns new group The Good, the Bad and the Queen. ... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ... Alternate cover Red vinyl 7 cover The Good, the Bad and the Queen track listing Northern Whale (3) Kingdom of Doom (4) Herculean (5) Kingdom of Doom is a song by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn, and is the fourth track on their 2007 debut album... The UK Albums Chart is a chart of the sales positions of albums in the United Kingdom. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... blah ...

Monkey: Journey To The West

In their first major work together since Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, along with acclaimed Chinese theatre and opera director Chen Shi-zheng, adapted for stage the ancient Chinese legend Journey to the West. as Monkey: Journey to the West, which received its world premiere as the opening show of the 2007 Manchester International Festival, on June 28, 2007 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester ^[9]. Albarn wrote the score, Hewlett designed the set and costumes. Chen Shi-zheng (陈士爭) was born 1963 in Changsha, in Chinas Hunan province. ... The four heroes of the story, left to right: Sūn Wùkōng, Xuánzàng, Zhū Bājiè, and Shā Wùjìng. ... The Manchester International Festival is a festival of original new work due to take place in Manchester, United Kingdom in 2007. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Palace Theatre Manchester is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. ...

The opera was Albarn and Hewlett's second collaboration with the Manchester International Festival. In November 2005, they staged the first-ever live performances of Demon Days Live involving many of the artists who had played on the successful Demon Days album, as a launch event for the festival. Demon Days Live is a live album by Gorillaz, scheduled for release on 27 March 2006 (see 2006 in music). ... Demon Days is the second studio album and a concept album[1] by Gorillaz, released on May 23, 2005 in the UK and on May 24 in the U.S.. Demon Days entered the UK charts at #1 and the US charts at #6, neatly outperforming the bands 2001...

Personal life

Albarn had a long-standing relationship with Elastica frontwoman Justine Frischmann. His involvement with her profoundly influenced his songwriting in Blur in the mid-to-late 1990s. "Yuko and Hiro" from The Great Escape (1995) is an acoustic track about Damon's love and infatuation with Justine and their inability to see each other. "Beetlebum", their single from the eponymous Blur (1997) was about Damon and Justine's heroin addiction, while some songs as "Tender" and "No Distance Left to Run" from 13 (1999) are about their break-up, caused by Frischmann's inability to kick her addiction. He now lives in Bayswater, London with artist Suzi Winstanley, and their daughter Missy was born in 1999. Albarn and Frischmann remain good friends. Elastica were a Britpop band who were popular in the 1990s, formed by Justine Frischmann after leaving Suede in 1991. ... Justine Elinor Frischmann (b. ... The Great Escape is the fourth album by Blur. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Beetlebum is a song by English band Blur and was released as the lead single from the bands eponymous fifth album, Blur. ... Blur is the fifth album by Blur, first release in 1997. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Tender is a song by the band Blur. ... No Distance Left to Run is a song by Blur. ... 13 is the sixth album by English rock band Blur, first released in 1999. ... This article is about the year. ... Bayswater is an area of London in the City of Westminster. ...

Albarn is outspokenly anti-war and has criticized the United States' wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2002 he and Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack took out full page advertisements in the NME challenging the need for war. Albarn contributed backing vocals to a song on Massive Attack's 100th Window, released the following year. Anti war protest in Melbourne, Australia, 2003 Anti_war is a name that is widely adopted by any social movement or person that seeks to end or oppose a future or current war. ... Robert Del Naja (born 21 January 1965, in Bristol, England), also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. ... Massive Attack are an English trip hop band. ... 100th Window is the fourth album from the Bristol-based trip-hop group Massive Attack. ...

In 2005, Albarn, among others, criticized the London Live 8 concert for not featuring enough black artists; this resulted in the addition of Ms. Dynamite, Snoop Dogg, and Youssou N'Dour to the programme. Albarn said he did not want to perform in the concert because he thought it was too "exclusive" and may have been motivated by self-gain.[1] Official Live8 DVD, released in November 2005 Live 8 was a series of concurrent benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. ... Ms. ... Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. ... Youssou NDour Youssou NDour IPA: (born October 1, 1959 in Dakar) is a Senegalese singer and percussionist. ...

In the nineties he spent a good deal of time in Reykjavík and for a time he became something of a permanent fixture in the "Kaffibarinn", a bar/café of which he was part owner. He currently owns a house in Grafarvogur, a suburb of Reykjavík. He composed the soundtrack to the 2000 Icelandic film 101 Reykjavík. Location in Iceland Coordinates: , Constituency Government  - Mayor (Borgarstjóri) Dagur B. Eggertsson Area  - City 274. ... Grafarvogur is one of the largest residental suburbs of Reykjavík, Iceland. ... Location in Iceland Coordinates: , Constituency Government  - Mayor (Borgarstjóri) Dagur B. Eggertsson Area  - City 274. ... 101 Reykjavík ( ) is an award winning film set in Reykjavík, Iceland based on a book of the same name by Hallgrímur Helgason. ...

Albarn is a vocal critic of celebrity culture, saying "We need to dismantle very significant parts of our culture and really re-examine them. I suppose you start with the celebrity thing.... you have to get rid of things like The X Factor immediately."^[10] For the current series, see The X Factor (UK series 4). ...

Discography

For detailed Blur, Gorillaz and The Good The Bad and The Queen discographies, see their respective articles: Blur, Gorillaz, The Good The Bad and The Queen. Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... For the Gorillazs self-titled debut album, see Gorillaz (album). ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn released in January 2007. ...

• Ravenous (movie soundtrack) 1999 Written and performed by Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman.
• Ordinary Decent Criminal (movie soundtrack) 2000 Written and performed by Damon Albarn and others.
• 101 Reykjavík (movie soundtrack) - 4 March 2002
• Mali Music - 15 April 2002
• Democrazy (10" vinyl release) - 8 December 2003

For the record label, see Ravenous Records. ... Ordinary Decent Criminal is a 2000 crime/comedy film, directed by Thaddeus OSullivan, adapted from a novel by Lionel Shriver. ... 101 Reykjavík ( ) is an award winning film set in Reykjavík, Iceland based on a book of the same name by Hallgrímur Helgason. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Mali Music is a 2002 album by Britpop musician Damon Albarn in collaboration with Malian musicians Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabate & Friends, and also featuring a cameo from Ko Kan Ko Sata. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Democrazy is a 2003 vinyl-only release by Damon Albarn, frontman of British rock band Blur and the animated group Gorillaz. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the historian, see John W. Dower. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ...

Sources and external links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Damon Albarn

• Damon Albarn pieces including video interviews on BBC Imagine...
• Damon Albarn interview
• Albarn's Mali mission - BBC News
• Blur biography
• IMDB entry on Damon Albarn